Wild Goose
by Faelyrus
Summary: Loki visits Earth, Tony goes on vacation and an unexpected one night stand! Imagine how surprised Loki was to find out that Tony belongs to the Avengers, a superhero team which also includes...Thor! The story of how they fell in love. Slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Fixed stupid PoV problem. One of my reviewer, Liliath, mentioned that the shifting of PoV suddenly was confusing and quite frankly, annoying. When I uploaded the file onto FF, it somehow overrode all my OpenOffice changes (yes, even though it was the recommended program to use, and I have no choice but to manually edit every file). Yup, hopefully it works now! :)**

**As always, reviews are love :)**

* * *

**- Chapter 1 -  
The Man Who Got Displaced**

Tony Stark was a man who loved minimally. He had gotten into a few scrapes over the years, mostly about opinions, but never about women. He didn't think it was worth it. Sleeping around his fair share of girlfriends, and more than his fair share of whores, women had become dispensable, irrelevant even, in his highly methodical and technological life. Women were too emotional, so high strung, and anti-thesis to reason and logic. Not like he was short of them anyway. Slowly, he was beginning to think of them biologically. They were there to fulfill his needs, not just sexually, but also as overseers of his diet, exercise and general wellbeing. More and more, they had taken a maternal role in his life. He didn't feel the desire to physically connect anymore, it was as if there was a small hole in his heart which had gradually expanded over the years such that it had become a crater. And the crater had to be filled and women were the obvious remedy.

Recently though, he was not beneath seeking out pleasure with guys. Rough sex tended to be good for health and always made him think more clearly afterwards. Men smelled different too. Women smelled nice, like powder and perfume, but men, they always smelled like shampoo, lemony, sharp and clean. Like new bedspreads and fresh laundry. It also reminded him of his boarding school days, where the cohort had been all-male, and he had earned quite a bit of reputation himself...

Loki Laufeyson, on the other hand, was not a man at all.

He wasn't mortal because he was a god. More alien than god, to be precise. His magic were to do with manipulation, science of a higher level than any on Earth. The elements subdued to his control, and he wrestled with wind, swam with the seas and could burn with the intensity of cold fire.

The humans have gotten everything wrong in their Norse folklore. Typical of them to screw things up where they didn't understand them. Inventing names for phenomena that they didn't comprehend. One particularly glaring mistake about Loki was that of his connection with Slephnir, Odin's 8 legged freak of a horse. Legend had it that Loki had shape-shifted into a mare and sexually seduced Slephnir's father, Svaldifari, a superhorse. When Svaldifari gave chase, Loki had mistakenly believed that he could outrun him, but was impregnated instead, giving birth to Sleph, as Loki called him. In reality though, Loki's brother, the much revered and esteemed Thor Odinson, was the one who couldn't control his sexual drive. One particularly fine October evening (As the powers always say, bad things happen on fine evenings), Thor, mentally weakened, was driven to Svaldifari.

Under the guise of night, Thor had sneaked into the stables to jerk off, unwilling and embarrassed to attract unwanted attention should he had done it in his rooms. His mother had a way of sneaking up on one when one least expects it. Caught up in the throes of passion and adolescent, plus the fact that Svaldifari had sneaked up too near to him, one thing led to another. Thor had claimed Svaldifari for his own amidst the hay bales and the strong pungent smell of wood smoke.

Although why anyone would ever fuck a horse out of desperation was bewildering to Loki, especially since Thor could have any number of fair maidens he wished. He could only guess that Thor was far too honorable to use a cathouse, which was something Loki had no qualms about. Svaldifari, who was actually female, thus gave birth to Thor's son, Sleph. Odin wasn't about to let his most distinguished son be defiled by this incident, although Thor was more than willing to take responsibility, as he said it.

"And how indeed would you attempt to do that, Thor Odinson?" Odin asked, voice rising to a resonant thunderclap under the roofs of the grand council hall. It was a beautiful room, gilded with reds and golds, each carving of angels and beasts as intricate as the runic markings on Odin's throne. There were griffins of red, ravens of slivers, dragons of golds and serpents of bronze. The vast mirrors placed on both sides of the hall glimmered and sparkled with each refraction of the light. Legend has it that you could see your future in one, and your past in the other.

"I would marry Brynhildr. She would be my legal wife." Thor had proclaimed with a straight face.

"Till death do you part then!" Odin banged both his fists bitterly on the table. It was times like this that he wished Loki was his true son.

Loki sighed. He always knew Thor was stupid, but seriously? The guy was literally too dumb for his own sake. And then he sighed again, because he knew what was coming.

"Loki?"

"Yes, father."

"Do you suppose you could, er, stand in for your brother on this account?"

"Odin, I forbade you to!" His mother, Frigga, protested. "Loki has protected his brother for long enough! It is time Thor faces up to his mistakes."

"Father, I do not agree!" It was Thor this time, his fist slamming on the ornate gilt table. "Brother should not be made to pay for my folly."

"I have no qualms, my father."

Every head in the hall swung around with surprise.

"Loki, what are you doing?" Sif hissed from beside him. She was a childhood friend, and the closest person to Loki, after his mother. Right now, she was glaring at him with a mixture of bewilderment, rage and, was that _hurt_? Her black onyx eyes bore holes into the side of Loki's face.

"I do not mind father."

"It is settled then."

Outside the grand council chamber Thor grabbed Loki's arm.

"You didn't have to do that for me brother, but I shall be eternally grateful."

"For what, Thor, son of Odin? For all the times I saved your ass? The bandits last Saturday, the broken diadem, all those times where I took the fall for you? No, it is my duty and pleasure, dear brother." Loki's bitterness exploded with the force of a small grape, venomously threatening the air around them. He could feel his face smarting, could feel the hot blood rushing through his veins and all those manifested as dark magic swirled inside him, looking for an escape. How dare he, how dare Thor...

"You are father's son too." Thor's glance was sheepish as Loki stormed past him down the hallway.

"No need to bother your pretty head about feeling guilty. I just didn't like having decisions taken out of my hand. I decided on saving you, and nothing father said or could have said influenced me."

* * *

As Loki's hand gripped upon the emerald handle of the door to his rooms, he was spun around by a strong grip on his shoulders. The blast of energy, finally unbridled and unleashed by Loki on his assailant was strong enough to knock the guy backwards into the grasp of his friends.

"Oh, what fun. The three musketeers." Loki said through gritted teeth.

The Warriors Three, or Thor's clique, was made up of Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg, none of which had any more intelligence than Thor had, making them the perfect friends.

Fandral was the smartest of them all, and Loki had long conceded that conversation with Fandral was passable, finding him rather entertaining to crack jokes with, or the occasional drink. He was bearable, but only when he was not around the other three. Fandral was also considered quite attractive by the female sex, with a sweeping blonde head and piercing blue eyes. He just was like Thor, except immoral, and chased skirts with a vivacity previously unknown to man.

"We see through you, Loki. You wish to inflict guilt upon Thor, making him indebted to you as compensation of your inferiority towards him." Fandral snarled.

"Ooh...big words, Fandral. Didn't know you were capable of such a complex vocabulary after last night in my room huh? Why, all you were able to manage were grunts and a quite delightful moan as I squeezed your -" Loki licked his lips, which were beginning to show signs of a smirk, creeping up the edges of his mouth. He had only uttered a laugh, clear and ringing as church bells before Fandral gripped his throat and thrusted him backwards against his own door.

"One more sound from you, Loki!" he released Loki from his grip and stepped backwards.

"Hahaha! How strange, I do seem to recall that we were in the same position yesterday as we are now! Except then your grip was less savage and more...lusty. Hahahahaha!"

The whole hallway had filled with Loki's ringing laughter.

Fandral's face was blotchy and red under his straw blonde hair. "Sh-shut up!" He looked worriedly around the faces of his friends, who might well become his enemies now.

Volstagg and Hogun looked puzzled.

"What's he talking about, Fandral?" Volstagg asked, at the same time as Loki, who cut in smoothly.

"Luckily, your friends are all dimwits without the slightest clue of what's happening. Should I explain, or would you do the honors, Fandral?"

Hogun glared, his small eyes narrowed into even smaller slits in his oriental face. He had always been the quietest of the three, and he made it clear that he despised and distrusted Loki, staring at him with as much affection as he would to a rat. Except that his gaze would have been kinder to a rat. Volstagg's face was as red as his hair, which was a mess of red braids actually. His green eyes were sharp shards of bottle-glass though. He was a dwarf in the body of a giant. Fandral looked ready to start a war, right here in the hallway.

Loki whispered softly.

"Imagine if I were to tell my brother..."

"He wouldn't believe you!" Fandral sputtered.

"He wouldn't now, would he? Despite the fact that I just saved his piece of ass? Again?" Loki snickered. "Now, get out of here."

With one spell contained within that sentence, he had managed to apparate them away. Loki sighed. He could have done that the moment Fandral opened his mouth, but Loki decided that they needed a scare. Loki yawned and stretched his limbs. He could kill for a sleep now. Still yawning, he walked straight through the locked door and collapsed into a deep sleep on his bed.

* * *

When he woke up, Loki could sense things were wrong. It was awfully, painfully quiet outside his rooms. Usually it was filled with the sounds of Thor and his motley crew, but today, it was deathly quiet.

Goddamnit, what now?

He scrambled out of bed, magically called fresh clothes from the wardrobe, got dressed and went out.

Thor was waiting for him outside his room.

"What you did was despicable, but you are still my brother and I forgive you." he said quietly.

Instantly, Loki was on high alert. Thor was hardly ever quiet and when he was, something was terribly wrong.

"What's going on?"

Suddenly, a mob had appeared around the corner. Led by Volstagg. Oh _fuck_. Viciously, Volstagg thrust his quarterstaff in the air and shouted,

"Bring him down!"

And then Loki was teleporting out of the way, but not before he caught a glimpse of Fandral's smirking face full of glee. His eyes were red around the edges though, and Loki supposed that the crying must have bought him some sympathy. A rape case was not hard to forge, especially with regards to the identity of the assailant and the victim. Loki's name was as good as tarnished now. _Prince of Asgard_?

Loki laughed. How could he have harbored such thoughts in the past without being fully aware of his limitations? Now the lines were drawn, hard and clear and at last, Loki knew where he stood. Thank god for small favors though. He could have woken up later and fallen directly into the grasp of the lynch mob. Speaking of which, he could hear their blood-thirsty cries in the distance. Asgard hadn't had a lynching in ages, and Loki was like a wounded doe, primed and ready for the hunt.

Asgard was no longer his home. Loki headed for the Bifrost. He would escape to Midgard, even though the people were primitive and stupid and lazy there. Perhaps he would rule as king there. After all, weakened prey were easy to subdue. As he reached the gates of the Bifrost however, a woman was there waiting for him.

Sif, with her long dark hair and equally dark eyes, looked like a raven. Her skin though, was as fair as snow, yet her voice betrayed her passion for Loki. It was warm and pleading as she turned at the sound of his footfalls.

"Do not go Loki, I beg you."

"You have Thor here, and the Warriors Three," Loki said bitterly. She had always preferred their company to his, so why should now be any different?

"If you insist on leaving, I would leave with you."

"You would not stop me, Sif. I have made up my mind."

Her face had turned into one of inexplicable anguish, as she realized too late that Loki had cast a body binding spell on her. Her face contorted into a grimace as she struggled to free herself from her invisible bonds.

"Let me follow you," she cried, but Loki was already gone, disappeared into the blinding blue flashes of the Bifrost.

When Thor arrives a few moments later, he looks at the deactivated Bifrost and the crying Sif and resolves that he would do what it takes to bring his brother back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yup, so as you remember, I'm manually updating all the chapters in this series due to some problems with the OpenOffice formatting. As you can very well see, I do have a wild perfectionist streak...Anyway, just wanted to say a quick thank you to all my reviewers/people who have put me on story alerts, author alerts, favorites, etc. Frankly, I'm quite humbled by all the attention, thank you guys! :) **

**At the risk of being shameless, hit the review button guys! :)**

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**- Chapter 2 -  
The Kindness Of Strangers**

The man who stood outside the Avengers tower was wearing a flamboyant pink shirt that says 'I'm unique!' with a sparkly picture of a unicorn. Paired with it was long tight pink skinnies that did well to accentuate the curve of his butt. The man was also wearing a pair of white shades, and in his right arm was a shaved poodle, the excess fur on its head gathered and tied with a pink ribbon.

He left his name at the counter.

"Well, Mr, er, Juanita Santos," The clerk strained his eyes to read the exaggerated cursive in sparkly pink, "I'm afraid Mr Stark's not in today. Rest assured sir, he will be notified at the earliest moment possible."

"Awww thanks sweetheart." With a wave of his hand, and the flick of his head, Juanita Santos left the building. Not before grabbing his dog's paw in a weak imitation of a wave first, of course.

"Say 'goodbye' to uncle, Sparkles honey." The poodle barked once in response, and together both owner and pet flounced out of the building.

From behind a concealed window Clint muttered, "And that was gay gay gay gay gay gay."

Natasha snorted. "He is by far the worst of Tony's bed partners. And that includes that Indian tranny with a diamanté studded bra."

"Let's not be rude guys," Steve said anxiously, eyes flitting over to where Tony sat with his hands in his head. "I think Tony's got enough to worry about."

"You've got to admit the guy's got really bad taste. That's like, the tenth to show up in a week? Man," Bruce shakes his head like he can't believes it and laughs, "Juanita shakes his ass when he walks! What can I say...you sure do have a way with them chicks." He laughs, a deep-throaty full laugh.

"How do you have the stamina, Tony?" Clint gazes at him with reverence and snaps his fingers like he gets it. "Oh oh oh, it's the arc reactor is it?"

"Everybody shut up!" Tony snarled as he jerks his head up, eyes glinting with murder. Just out of the corner of his vision, Bruce shrugs and murmurs, 'I told you.'

"To answer your question Clint, I was on a sexual marathon, not that my stamina was ever in need of your doubt. Bruce, I was desperate and a taut ass is an asset, no matter the gender it belongs to. You sound like my grandmother Steve, except older. Natasha, that tranny has bigger boobs than you."

His teammates growled in response, but Bruce just laughed it off. Years of zen had honed him to handle the worst of sarcasm.

"Hey hey hey, no need to turn on one of your own," Clint glared. "and besides, you're gonna be needing our support real soon. Natasha?"

"Word's that Fury's heard about your little...escapades." She examined her nails with the intensity of a cat. "Fuck, one of them's broken in the fight with that Russian bastard."

"That was no call for rudeness." Steve looked genuinely hurt but Tony could not bear to go through a round of reconciliation and reassurance. He was too madly pissed off to do that.

"Fury?" Tony had barely time to register before he was interrupted by a sharp rap on the meeting room door.

Pepper Potts appeared in the doorway. She took a long, deep breath before saying,

"I have been sent to tell Tony Stark that Director Fury wants him to report to the map room immediately. He wants to give him a piece of his mind."

"Well, gentlemen and lady, that's an offer I can't refuse...or can I?" Tony looked hopefully at Pepper but she just rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Any chance of us getting back together, Pepper?"

"Not one in a million, jackass."

"Ouch. No call for bad language Pepper." he said, wagging a finger in front of her face.

She smacked it roughly aside.

"I should've known better than to trust you to keep your dick in your pants," she whispered in a hushed angry tone. "You cheated on me with a man whore."

"Hey, Juanita was a good man!"

* * *

"What do you have to say for yourself, Tony?" Fury began as soon as Pepper walked out of the room. Plastered around the room's walls were dozens of big, colored large spreadsheets of maps.

"Guilty as charged sir." Tony gave a sheepish grin. In reality, his head was splitting behind his skull. Maybe gin and tonic for breakfast was a bad idea.

"Guilty? Motherfuck, your whores and bitches are coming to work with you!"

"Hey, blame security. I didn't let them have the information of my whereabouts."

"Security footage from JARVIS showed that you were almost always half-drunk and half-naked, although not necessarily in that order, when you scribbled down your address and blabbered about your workscope."

"Everyone knows who Ironman is," Tony said glumly and halfheartedly.

"And now everyone knows where he works." snarled Fury. "Look, Tony you're a liability to yourself as well as others in this state. You could endanger the lives of everyone in this building, everyone from the Avengers to S.H.I.E.L.D."

Tony's eyes widened. "By bringing my boyfriends to work?"

Fury sighed. "I wish. It goes deeper than that Tony. Look."

Fury clicks on a few files, and soon the screen in the map room was filled with footage from their latest mission.

In various stills, Steve Rogers, or Captain America, as he is known, holds up his shield valiantly, the red and blue colors striking against the broken buildings and dull grey roads. He was holding off a multitude of lizard warriors, results of a failed genetical experiment by Doctor Doom. In one particularly impressive photo set, he had dashed across 10km of roads just to save a crying child holding her Teddy bear.

And so on. Tony clenched his fists as he watched the slideshow progress with various compositions of his teammates in valiant glory. Not because he is jealous of them, but because he knows what's gonna come. Black Widow, or Natasha, was doing a trapeze style high jump kick against one of the fiercer lizards, and the next picture shows it completely subdued. Clint fires an arrow, which takes down 3 enemies in one clean shot. No wonder his namesake's Hawkeye. The Hulk smashes through a burning building, rescuing about 8 full-grown adults in his grasp. Hard to believe he is the gentle and shy scientist Bruce Banner in real life.

"And of course there's you." Fury said through a grimace.

Even Tony fought hard to hold back a groan as he saw himself in action.

He had arrived half-drunk in his suit, resulting in a misfiring of rockets. They landed on the opposite building, which happened to stock gasoline (Who stocks gasoline in the middle of the city anyway, thought Tony), which then caught fire and provided Bruce with his glory moment of rescuing the would-be victims.

Spying a victim, he then skidded across a lake in exactly the same way a rock would, landed in the middle of it, rockets half drowned. Steve had to rush 10km of road to save the child from being mobbed by the lizard mutants. As he swum to shore, defenseless, he found himself staring into the faces of 3 lizard mutants. Clint saved his ass with one arrow, and Natasha took care of the assassin poised to strike. All the time, Tony was making lewd jokes about everyone and everything ("Nice shot, big guy!") and had to be carried back to the Avengers tower afterwards.

Both sat in silence as the last picture of Tony puking into his Ironman suit filled the screen and eventually, the silence between them.

"It is a hard decision," Fury sighed and held up his hand. "And don't speak Tony, I know you're going to protest, stubborn motherfucker. Regardless of what I'm about to say." Tony was silenced with a glare from the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"It hasn't always made the best of decisions, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is my responsibility, as well as the lives of every other in this building. This is my cross to bear. The Avengers initiative is my baby, Tony, and a father does what he can to protect his child. I can't let you destroy it, Tony."

Tony's heart froze. Well, not literally, but his arc reactor slid down a few degrees. A life without the Avengers? Well, to be honest, he wasn't much of a team player anyway, but sentiments are sentiments, and dare he say it, he might have gotten attached to the team. "Director, what are you -"

"I'm suggesting, Tony, that you take a few days off. Maybe party in Malibu or something, just hop on a plane, first-class, and go have some fun someplace exotic. Bring a partner or something, I don't care who. Relax and recuperate, till you're ready to join ranks."

Tony stared at him. And then he caught sight of the map behind the director. It read 'Japan'.

He grinned.

"I believe that would be a wonderful idea, director."

* * *

The flight from LAX to Narita international airport had been uneventful. Tony had flirted with the air steward, and a rather cute teenage boy sitting beside him. They had ended up making out in the toilet after Tony has stroked his thighs somewhat inconspicuously. He was a wild one. Even now, Tony could still taste him in his mouth and feel the sting of his bite on Tony's lips.

Holding his boarding pass for the transfer flight to Hokkaido, he allowed himself a few moments to fantasize about its delights. He sighed contentedly. Hokkaido was a place renowned for it's fresh seafood. And bear statues. And marine parks. Tony would never admit it, but he had always had a soft penchant for seals. In fact, in a hidden area of his house back in Stark towers, there was a walk-in closet filled with every seal plushie imaginable. Big fluffy white ones all the way to sleek grey streamlined ones. Not to mention, the recent Mamegoma hype that Tony had gotten wrapped up in.

He could almost taste the soft juices of crab bursting in his mouth as he handed over his boarding pass when the woman behind the counter said in an apologetic tone,

"Sorry sir, the flight to Kyoto is over there."

Fucking Japanese, always so apologetic about everything.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but your queue is over there."

Her repetition shook Tony out of his narcotic haze. He laughed as it dawned upon him as to what she just said.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm sure I'm in the right queue, considering how I'm planning to board a transfer flight to Hokkaido and this is the Hokkaido queue." He jabbed at the boarding pass to make his point when his fingers froze on the single word 'Kyoto'.

Tony swore and the lady gave a cordially disapproving look, too polite to mention anything about the gaijin. Foreigners really were strange, and how dare they question her professionalism?

Meanwhile, Tony knew he should have flown to Hokkaido in his private jet. He had let his dear teammates talk him into sending him off at LAx.

"I don't like to fly commercially, Natasha."

"Sometimes, you're too rich for your own good. Tony, try to meet new people and make friends on the plane. It will be fun." She kissed him in the cheek as he entered the boarding hall, with the rest waving bye to him. Steve promised to take care of New York for him, Bruce to update him with new breakthroughs and Clint promised to get busy with the lonely girls of Manhattan.

And now he was stuck at Narita with the wrong boarding pass. To Kyoto. Someone must have mixed up the boarding passes, and that someone was to pay for his mistake. Badly. If it had been him booking, he would checked it, double-checked it and triple-checked it, right down to phoning the hotel he was planning to stay in. Evidently, the person who did this job did not have much brains.

He groaned. He had no doubt Kyoto was pretty, what with it being Sakura season, but frankly, he wasn't a fan of flowers, temples, towers and old people. Out of all the regions, he has to get a historical artifact?

This just keeps getting better, he thought as he rejoined the queue for Kyoto. Here I come.

He has always believed in making the best out of each situation.

* * *

Steve Rogers was enjoying a cup of plain o' black coffee when he sneezed. Prone to superstition, Steve thought that someone must have been talking ill of him behind his back. He shrugged. He could deal with gossip. Idly he fiddled with his spoon and thought of how much fun Tony must be having in Japan right now. Steve would know, because he had booked the tickets for Kyoto, exactly as Tony had requested. He wrinkled his nose, deep in concentration. Although it did seemed a bit odd for someone like Tony to prefer such an ancient, rustic place.

* * *

If it seemed odd that Tony Stark would choose Kyoto, it was natural for Loki to be attracted to it.

Fresh from the Bifrost in the middle of the Sahara dessert, Loki found himself strangely excited about his destination. He had thought about visiting Earth for a time, and had long decided that he would visit Japan. He could teleport himself there in a flash, but decided that he would change himself into decent clothing, and check himself in to Narita airport. After all, human beings had always been an area of interest to him, and to finally live like one, with all their physical restraints would be an interesting experience.

Loki did not care for the wacky, vibrant energy of Harajuku or the glitzy district of Shibuya. They were novelty cities in a country of so much reverence and beauty, shiny, high-tech toys that did not suit Loki's taste at all. Neither had the maturity nor the mellowness he was seeking for, unlike Kyoto.

Kyoto was the one that held the most mysteries and allure to Loki. The history itself was fascinating. Temples made of smoothly hewn stones in the middle of bamboo forests, tall and slender, shadowing the holy place. Pieces of paper and bells decorated the roofs of these temples. How the Japanese believe that a red string of destiny was bound between you and the finger of your true lover and that nothing, not even god himself, can tear the string apart.

Kyoto, with it's spiraling bell towers. Kyoto, with it's nature and peaceful scenery, would make a fresh change from the stifling airs of Asgard.

For the first time in a while, a genuine smile crept onto Loki's lips. This would be fun.

* * *

Only 12 minutes into the flight and Loki was already getting annoyed with the brash bawdy American guy beside him. For the past few minutes, the guy had been constantly bugging the air-stewardess about the changing of seats ("Hey miss do you think I can upgrade to first class?" to she which she promptly replied, "Im sorry sir, our flight's currently filled."), his drink which had changed from Coke to Fanta Grape to a Lychee martini. Now, he was busy doodling on the safety instructions manual that came with every plane.

Jabbing Loki's arm, he said,

"Hey hey look, doesn't he look like he's sucking a dick?"

The American had drawn a penis on one of the pages which showed a guy down on his knees due to safety procedures.

"I don't really think it's a good idea for you to be toying with something so important."

"What? This safety manual?" The man looked aghast. "Nah, its bullshit. Do you know why they ask you to put your oxygen masks on in the event of a plane crash?"

Loki cocks an eyebrow. "Because that would provide you with an adequate oxygen supply at high altitudes?"

"No, because an excess of oxygen numbs your brain and calms you down, preparing your body for the slaughter like little lambs to the abattoir." He lets out a deep throaty laugh, extends a hand and a warm smile. "My name's Tony Stark. Who might you be, sourpuss?"

Loki looked at the hand with distaste. He doesn't want to make friends, and certainly not this man.

Biting back his distaste, Loki forced a smile and said, "I'm Loki Laufeyson."

* * *

Only 12 minutes into the flight and Tony was already getting annoyed with the quiet contemplative sneaky bastard beside him. If there's one thing that never fails to raise Tony's ire, it is silence. That sourpuss had on the most unsociable face he had ever seen on a person. Tony's forte, cracking jokes had completely fallen flat at this guy's composure.

Still, despite the guy being an obvious sociopath and all, he was still kinda surprised when Loki did not react the way most people did when they heard his name. Tony Stark, as he was proud to admit, was a known name. Usually, he would have to deal with heartfelt confessions of love or admiration or both, requests for his signatures, people bawling in the presence of an idol, vigorous handshakes as well as a generally unmurmured consensus of 'I am in the presence of a great being, possibly infinitely greater than I can ever hope to be.' Loki Laufeyson on the other hand, simply returned to staring out of the plane's window.

Which pisses Tony off some more. Because he always got the window seat. Damn, he knew he should have taken first class instead of letting Natasha talk him into buying Business, I mean, what the hell was I thinking, he thought.

Business class was full of the sociopaths he just knew it would contain.

* * *

After about an hour or so on the same flight as Tony, Loki realized that Tony was throbbing with want. For him.

Loki could hear his blood singing through his veins, full of his desire for Loki. Loki snorted. He knew this kind of men. Men who walked through life like arrogant peacocks because they think and know that they can get what they want. Men too proud to admit that they too had faults and were human.

And flirty too, by the looks of it. Tony Stark, besides eyeing the pretty air stewardess, had been steadily striking up a conversation with the young boy in the seat in front of them. Both of them were laughing flirtatiously and the boy actually giggled, a high champagne bubbles kind of laugh. It pissed Loki off.

Strangely enough, Loki felt that he was no longer concerned about the happenings on Asgard. He didn't care if he was punished for using the Bifrost without permission, or that he would be convicted of his false rape charge. Somehow, life seemed so much better without his family milling around him like unshakable flies. Yet, he can't shake off the feeling that he should be more concerned, and guilt haunted him like a specter. It seems like a sin to feel so little for people who meant so much to you.

Engrossed in his thoughts, Loki did not notice that the young boy in front had stood up, presumably to go to the washroom.

His thoughts were depressing him. Maybe he should really check out the situation in Asgard. And to do that he would need a mirror. The washroom. Loki got out of his seat and made his way to the back of the plane.

As he closed the door behind him, Loki found himself in a neat clean toilet that smelled of limes. He washed his face in the sink and traced a wet finger along the mirror. Perhaps, he should utter the spell now.

All of a sudden, the lights went off.

* * *

It took Tony precisely 10 seconds to pick the lock of the toilet, and another 5 to switch off its lights.

When Natasha had told him to make friends, he was sure she hadn't meant it this way.

"Hello?" A voice sounded in the dark.

"Hello yourself, lovely."

Tony's arc reactor glowed just slightly enough to discern a dark mass of shadows at the edge of the sink and he lunged towards it, feeling a supple body in his embrace.

Crushingly, he drew their lips together, bruising both with the intensity and passion of the kiss. The boy tasted like ice, his tongue twirling expertly with his own, and the conflicting temperatures sending shock waves down to the base of his spine. Tony shuddered. It has been a while since he had felt so good, and especially not with just a kiss.

Pulling back, Tony gripped the boy's jaw in his hand and thrusted it upwards such that he was now nicking at the soft sensitive skin of his neck. The boy moaned in delight, and Tony could feel himself getting harder as he gave the boy a delicious line of hickeys, kneading and bruising the skin with his lips. Yum.

Tony was back at the lips again, earning soft grunts with gentle nibbles on the soft red parted lips. Through the boy's woefully thin fabric, Tony could feel his hard-on as well, and it drove Tony insane that he could have this boy right here and now. Unthinkingly, he grabbed the boy's crotch roughly, cupping his erection and the boy whimpered like a horny female animal. Teasingly, he rubbed through the fabric until the boy was mewing like a cat at his touch.

His mind foggy, Tony fumbled with his own belt, loosening the buckle just enough for him to strip off his underpants and releasing his cock.

Click.

The lights were back on again, and Tony was face-to-face with a very smug Loki Laufeyson.

A very smug Loki Laufeyson indeed.

"Sometimes, Mr Stark, you rely too much upon the kindness of strangers."


	3. Chapter 3

**Back again, guys! ^_^ So I've always liked the idea of Japan, I think it's simply a magical place...perfect for their first real experience together, don't you think? :)**

* * *

**- Chapter 3 -  
Para-para-paradise**

Turns out that the young boy had went to the wrong toilet. He had misheard that Tony wanted a rendezvous in the restroom in Economy class. Hence, he had shuffled further down the aisle than he should have. Frustrated after waiting for 20 minutes and there was still no sign of Tony, the boy wondered whether he had been played for a fool. Growling, he resolved to try the Business class toilet, just in case.

When he entered the toilet, Tony was busy zipping up his pants in front of a very smug man with dark hair. As the scene greeted him, the young boy could only feel betrayal and a rapidly surmounting anger. He registered the look of surprise on Tony's face, and before he could respond, the young boy had given him a flinching uppercut on his chin, sending Tony Stark crashing backwards into the toilet wall. He hissed a "Motherfucker." at Tony and whirled around to glare at the other man.

The other man was pretty tall in stature, although Tony was still taller. He had pale, milky skin the color of the moon, and his eyes were glinting emeralds from where the boy was standing. Must be the light, he thought. His nose was high-bridged, with a tiny upward flick at the end, giving it's owner the aura of a cat. The man was wearing a robe or coat of some sort of expensive material, richly embroidered with intricate runic patterns in gold and silver fashion. If stared at long enough, the patterns seemed to swirl and have a life of its own. A long, slender finger pointed at him, and the boy could barely register the ruby ring set in gold on it when the man murmured,

"Get out."

And the boy was out of the toilet, his legs carrying him back to where he seated, confused and dazed. Yes, maybe I'm just tired, he thought, as he sank into his seat and proceeded to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Ouch ouch ouch ouch."

Blood was gushing out of Tony's nostrils as he hurriedly tried to staunch it with bundles of toilet paper. As he turned on the tap in the hopes of getting rid of this bloody mess, Loki interjected.

"Bye Stark. Good luck with that," he added, pointing at his nose.

In a flash, Tony's hand were at the door and he slammed it shut.

"Nuh-uh pretty boy. You owe me an explanation. As to what you were doing in here."

Loki grinned. "Simple. I was simply going about my own business in the restroom when you came in mistaking me for the boy. It was a case of mistaken identity."

"Yeah, if only it was so easy. You seduced me! Even though you knew I was mistaken." Tony's eyes narrowed as he stared into the bright, sparkling eyes of Loki. It was clear he was enjoying this.

"Correction. I didn't figure out what was going on, even as I deduced it was you in the dark. And when I did, I wasn't about to let go of an opportunity to make out, even if it had to be you and your unremarkable kissing skills. Thoguh I heard you telling the young boy otherwise."

Tony was smarting from the comments. Was I really that bad of a kisser? But no one had complained before Loki, and now Tony wasn't about to go telling him what a good kisser he thought Loki was. What a slut that Loki guy was. But one thing still didn't feel right.

"How did you know who I was?"

"Oh, you mean besides by your American voice? And the faintly glowing light from the middle of your chest? Two layers of cashmere sweaters are still not good enough to hide it. But I have to admit, what made me really sure had to be the smell of you, all grease and machines and alcohol. Quite unpleasant really. And of course, the taste of your mouth. Somehow, it was distinctively Tony Stark, even if some of your body parts aren't," he said, gesturing towards the arc reactor.

"I smell like that? So how do I taste?" Tony grinned as he looked at Loki.

"Like milk and sugar, honey." Loki smile was full of shiny white teeth as he made his smooth escape from the toilet.

Tony couldn't resist a last jab. "The proper thing to do when you kiss someone wrong is to stop kissing them. Remember next time, boy."

* * *

No matter which way he thought about it, it felt like a deliberate seduction attempt to Tony. Loki should have stopped the moment he realized it was Tony, but he had let himself carry on, and in the process, getting Tony caught up in it. But Tony had to admit he couldn't stop kissing Loki, and even now his own bruised lips still craved for the hot freezing ones of Loki. Kissing Loki was like kissing ice, cold and yet blindingly hot at the same time.

He grimaced.

He had just spent a few minutes fantasizing about the man who was now lying in the seat next to him, evidently asleep.

If he concentrated hard enough, he could just make out the faint lines of Loki's silhouette. It was slim, with traces of curves, like a cross between a man and a boy. Yet, there was something dangerous about this man. Years of instinct meant that Tony could sense it. He would do well not to underestimate this Loki.

Even if it was for a few minutes, that should not be what he was supposed to be doing.

* * *

Loki's smile was hidden from the Stark man as he turned himself onto his side, comfortably nested under 2 layers of blankets. He had stolen the one from Stark's seat when he came back, and the man was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed.

In front of them, the young boy turned around and gave them a sour glare periodically. Clearly, he did not appreciate being taken for a fool. The atmosphere amongst the 3 of them was at best described as awkward. Luckily for them, the boy's sitting partner was an old Japanese lady who smelled like cats, and had no interest whatsoever except in her knitting.

Loki was smiling because he can hear Tony's thoughts. He had read Tony's mind without being aware of it and the man's thoughts and intents were as clear as water.

Distinctly, he caught a whiff of Tony's aftershave and cologne. It smelled like minty ocean waves with frothy sea spray. He could almost taste the salt on his tongue...

With a start, Loki realized that he had unconsciously stuck out his tongue to taste the air. Hurriedly, he withdrew it and snuggled deeper into the folds of the blankets.

Now he almost wished the plane did not have to land.

Almost.

* * *

It was an uneventful departure. Thankfully, Tony could finally escape from the boy's accusing glares and escape from the snatches of guilt grabbing at his heart. As he stepped out of the airport, Tony filled his lungs with his virgin breath of Kyoto air.

Ahhhh. The air smelled of standard airport pollution of course, but beneath the noxious fumes, he could detect a bittersweet tang of pinecones. Forests. A broad grin appeared on Tony's face.

He was going to enjoy himself after all.

* * *

The moment he was out of the departure hall, Loki apparated. No need to be among human civilization so soon, he had plenty of chances in the past few hours, and he wasn't missing their company so soon. He looked around him.

He was in the middle of some mountainous area. A rocky range of low cliffs framed the edge of a beautiful, glassy lake. The water was so still that it made the surrounding areas hold its breath. It was deathly quiet. Sometimes, a shining blue kingfisher would swoop from the sky and break the surface of the water, a fish in its beak. Out of the corner of his eye Loki spied a flock of cranes flying gracefully over the sky. Nature's ballerinas, the dancers of the heavens. He sighed in content. Earth always had the most beautiful animals.

But what was truly breathtaking was the temple situated in the middle of the lake.

Its location was so precise it appeared to be floating in the middle of the lake. Upon closer inspection though, the temple was constructed on a stone platform which extended towards the mainland. A breeze had started, causing the dozens of little bells on the roof of the temple to chime bright and clear in the morning air. The temple's architecture was typical of the Japanese. It was clean cut, the wooden paneling standing in contrast to the red tile roofs of the temple. Squarish frames served as door panelings, which slid open soundlessly to reveal the tastefully decorated interior filled with golden statues of deities and colorful murals depicting holy wars.

Loki's nostrils picked up the smell of sandalwood incense dampened by the wet smell of the forest. There had been a light morning shower. Overhead, thousands of small pink Sakura petals drifted with the breeze over the temple to the chime of the bells.

He was at peace here.

* * *

Japan was full of wonders indeed.

He had hailed a cab from the airport to the hotel and the last few days had been a whirlwind of activities. He drank 54 different varieties of sake, bought souvenirs for his friends, visiting temples (although those visits were brief and to be honest, not very fun, he only visited because it was mandatory for any visitor to Kyoto, according to his Lonely Planet guidebook) and also, his favorite yet, chasing the Geishas in Gion.

Gion was one of the oldest districts in Kyoto, and was famed for being a sort of closet red-light district in the Edo period. Geishas, as popularized by that movie 'Memoirs of a Geisha', were women in 8-inch heels, tottering about town from one teahouse to other, serving guests. They were fabulous hosts really, singing and dancing and playing instruments with their deft hands. Tony shuddered to think what else those deft hands are capable of.

With their kimonos (bright colors for the younger ones, rich, mellow ones for the older girls), and their hair piled intricately on their head to better expose their neck, these women were the object of every man's lust as they paraded down the streets like birds, and would usually provoke a flustered chasing by tourists for pictures.

Gion's teahouses were renowned for their expertise and beauty as well as their exclusivity. You couldn't get in even if you had the cash, you had to have the contacts. Only an existing customer could recommend you, and only then would you be granted a special audience with the creatures of legend, the geishas. Tony Stark had the contacts. He had spent a drunken night of fancy with his host, who had kindly referred him to the teahouse, and the geishas and even then, Tony Stark was proud of his resolve when he did not proceed to do what he would usually do under circumstances consisting of alcohol and inebriated women.

He had refused to admit that a pair of ice cold lips could turn him on better than any hot pliant female body. Or male for that matter, because his host was obviously interested in him. He had walked out of the Ochaya, mind filled with dirty images of Loki going down on him, or he taking Loki roughly from behind as he screamed and begged Tony to stop in a way that only made them want each other more...

Tony slapped himself on the head. Recently, he had been slipping into reveries such as this more and more. It was worrying.

* * *

Loki had taken to dressing in kimonos during his stay in Japan. The soft, supple fabric was so comfortable he could see why the locals prefer dressing in it too. Of course, he would never have dressed in those dull tones of commoner's greys and greens. He might not be Odin's son, but he was still royalty.

Wandering along the stone cobbled path of Tetsugaku no michi, he breathed in the scents of the Sakura blossoms. Reaching out a hand, he caught a stray petal. It felt enviably cool and soft to the touch. Twirling it in his hand, he threw it back up in the air, where it sparkled pink unnoticed among the hundreds of masses of Sakura blossoms next to it.

Tetsugaku no michi, or the Philosopher's path, was a famous walk beside a river canal for Sakura viewing. Locals milled around the path and Loki, who was standing in the middle of the path, was musing about the past few days.

He had not seen that obnoxious man Stark anywhere during his own travels, which he supposed was a good point. The past few days had been filled with pilgrimages to sacred temples, often spending hours just mediating in front of a waterfall or sneaking into ancient libraries to read. Often, he would find himself trekking up mountain paths just for the fun of it, to see where it would lead. Once, he saw a doe, slipping between the trees, and he called to it, sang it out of her hiding place until it was nuzzling against him, its fear of mankind gone.

It had been a good 5 days. Loki smiled. He would visit one of the districts that was to be lit up for the Hanatoro event tonight. The festival's name meant 'flower and light road', and Loki had heard of its beauty before. Perhaps the lights shine as brightly on Earth as they do on Asgard.

* * *

Tony Stark was throughly enjoying himself.

He had bought a syrupy flavored ice ball and was munching contentedly as he watched the lights of the streets around him light up, lantern by lantern.

Unlike in America, the Japanese preferred elegant wooden rectangular lanterns that were powered by candles, rather than electricity. These lanterns were placed on the stone roads lining the entire town, at regular intervals from each other both sides of the road, reminiscent of the airport runways back home.

Except these lights were a million times prettier.

Their soft whitish hues were like the moon's own soft glow, and it seemed to Tony that each lantern had inexplicably captured and distilled an essence of the moon.

The blue evening sky had long morphed into an everlasting blackness, dotted with nebulas of stars, which spread out like glitter drawn with a child's hand and imagination.

Tony walked towards the bridge, which lit with the glow of its hundreds and hundreds of lanterns hanging from its arms. The entire bridge appeared to be made of gold, and cast a pale ghostly reflection of itself in the dark glassy water. Tony stared into the water and thought that it was the gate bridge to the other world. His face was indistinct in the reflection, no features sharp, and Tony felt a kind of stifling fear gripping his heart.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of the thought, he made his way across the lighted bridge, intent on visiting the bamboo grove up ahead. Someone thrusted a lantern into his hand, and one thing he learned in Japan was that it was rude to reject anything someone offered to you, even if you didn't particularly have a need for it.

Holding his lantern, he lingered around in the grove, feeling small and insignificant among the tall trees who had probably been around longer than he had. Did they see what had gone wrong with his life? Tony laughed. He is in a strangely contemplative mood today.

As he stepped out of the grove, feeling strangely sober, a girl shouted "Hey look! Fireworks!" and just in time, Tony raised his head to an explosion of red stars. The spectacle had just started of course. A shower of blue rain, combined with the explosive dizziness of golden cartwheels were simply appetizers for the climax of the show. The audience drew in a breath collectively, and Tony moved nearer to the middle of the bridge to get a closer look.

On the dark mirroring water, people had placed wish lanterns of all shapes and sizes, and they floated around like cubes of sparkly tofu amidst the pale scarlet lotuses. Dragonflies were whizzing about, the light glinting off their glittery wings.

The sky exploded with yet another chorus of jet-green stars, and when it seemed that the sky could not absorb any more shocks and the smell of sulfur was heavy in the air and Tony could feel his eyes stinging and then suddenly.

Energy exploded across the sky in arcs of red, silver and gold. A blue shower of lights cascaded over the dome of the night sky, and mingled together with the other colors. It was extravagant and delightful and held the audience in its vice like grip. No one could tear their eyes away.

"Did you see that?" Tony, eyes bubbling, voice laughing, caught up in the adrenaline of the moment, had turned around to talk to his neighbor, not caring if he would understand English.

Tony Stark found himself face to face with Loki Laufeyson.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Just wanted to say a huge thank you to all my readers! :D Quite a number of you have added this story to your alerts & favorites and I just wanted to say how touched I am :') and how pleasantly surprising it was. When I first started writing this fic, it was because I was (absolutely besotted) with the frostiron pairing! I never thought so many people would enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this.**

** Click the review button to tell me your feelings towards this particular story! Hope to hear more from you guys soon! **

**Warning: Smut ahead! ;)**

* * *

**- Chapter 4 -  
Time Travel**

Loki Laufeyson was absolutely breathtaking. If his green eyes had been beautiful to Tony previously, they were devastating now. He was now convinced that they were an undiscovered crystal, mined from some astral planet a million lightyears from Earth. They certainly did produce that kind of effect on him. Tony felt like he was no longer on Earth when he stared into those eyes, but rather in space, infinite in time and moment. The fireworks were reflected in Loki's eyes, and arcs of gold crossed the iridescent iris and in it was a gleam of amusement.

"What? You done staring?"

Tony was taken aback as he attempted to change the topic. He cleared his throat and fiddled with the prickly stubble on his chin. If Loki had been surprised at seeing him, he certainly did not show it.

"Erm, well, fancy meeting you here. Nice fireworks huh?" Tony said lamely.

Loki flashed him a blinding smile, one that said 'I know you're embarrassed and its funny and I like it,'.

"Yeah. Though they're nothing compared to the aurora borealis though."

"The Northern lights?" Tony cocked an eyebrow. He had always wanted to see it in Antarctica.

The last of the fireworks went out with a big bang, and the audience sighed with pleasure. As the burning light of the last flares touched the water, it appeared to past through it to the other world beneath. Loki turned around and walked off.

Tony noticed for the first time that Loki was wearing a kimono just like the geishas.

"Hey, nice dress. Borrowed from your sister?"

'Bet it would look nicer on my floor, though,' he thought.

Loki turned around with an amused look, as if he could hear what Tony's thoughts were.

"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm aware of how lovely it looks."

He looked like he was wearing water, the way the fabric rippled against his skin. It was a dark midnight blue patterned with dozens of gold and silver basilisks. The sash was a vibrant red and stood out brightly against the dark fabrics. Loki was wearing clogs as well, and his hair, untampered, was smooth and unadorned. Tony concluded that Loki looked good enough to eat.

Before Tony could reply however, Loki leaned in closed to his face, lips hovering delicately near his earlobe. His breath was frosty as he whispered,

"I can sense your desire for me, it is written all over your face, so why don't we both give up this veneer of formality, leave this place, and get comfortable somewhere else?"

Tony could feel the color rise to his cheeks. His heart was in his mouth, and the way his chest throbbed loudly and painfully made him embarrassed, almost like he was an adolescent again, and was about to lose his virginity. He stole a glance at Loki, fearful that he would know how much of a reaction had been provoked in him.

Loki could hear the roar of Tony's blood, gushing through his veins. It was snging.

"I'm not sure we should be doing this, we only just met."

"Don't give me that, Stark, I'm sure you have been bedding strangers since the day you first ejaculated."

Normally, Tony would have gone through with it, but something held him back. What was it? Was it this man, this Loki Laufeyson? Something was dangerous about the mad glint in his eyes that promised absolutely no control. What were his limits? Could he, Tony Stark, break his limit? It could not be denied that this turned him on more than ever. He gulped. Loki was like an abyss of no return. He had no depth, simply because nobody knew how far he could sink. He was bottomless.

Which was seriously strange, considering how he was simply a human man. Tony lowered his guard. Loki was a citizen, a would-be victim needing of his protection. Why should he be worried? He was the Iron man. Loki should be more worried about Tony's prowess in the bedroom.

Loki growled with impatience. Was the mortal ever going to make his mind up? No matter. Loki would have him and that was that. He reached forward and grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

They ran past the lighted streets, passing stalls selling food, kids eating candy floss and trees hung with lights. It was as if the whole place had come alive. Tony had not let go of Loki's grip. If anything, he held on even tighter.

Soon, they were out of town. Tony couldn't stand it anymore and crushed his lips against Loki, desperate to feel the same icy coolness. But Loki pushed him away, placing a lone finger to Tony's lips, silencing his protesting growl.

"Shhh. Later, not here."

Loki had located a hidden flight of stone steps cut into the face of a rocky cliff from the main path and was tearing them up with speed. Tony wasn't the only one desperate to get the show going.

The forest they found themselves in was an ancient one. The trees had gone a pale shade of silvery gray with the night, and behind their branches, the moon could be glimpsed. It was throughly deserted, mainly because the resident monks in the nearby temple had all gone to attend the festival.

While Loki was contemplating whether to use the now deserted temple, Tony bit his lips in frustration and within seconds, he had pinned Loki onto the forest floor.

Tony hadn't felt this horny since high school, and he had definitely not felt so much desire for one person before.

"Patience," was Loki would say, though by the looks of it, he was trying his best to restrain himself too. Tony could tell by the darkening of color in Loki's eyes. How strange, he thought, wearing your heart on your sleeve. Not that Tony was in much of a condition to think straight, mind you. Yet he couldn't help but notice how unrestrained Loki was with regards to his feelings. Anger, mockery, desire...all these emotions were scrawled across his face as simply as if he were a child's painting.

After shrugging off Tony's advances, both of them made their way toward the now abandoned temple. A pair of lanterns stood guard outside the stone archway and both trespassed without a further thought. Stumbling, they grappled for the nearest door and made their way in. Already, Loki had predicted that the monks would not be returning till early morning, which hopefully, they would be miles away by then.

Shoving Tony onto the tatami flooring, Loki proceeded to straddle him. Leaning down till his mouth was parallel to Tony's ear, he whispered in a cloud of cool air.

"You ready?"

Stark gulped. The air had felt deliciously cool against the warmer shell of his ear, and he longed for more satisfying touches, and was pleased when he felt Loki's long tongue twirling frost inside of his ear.

"Oh...damn. You're good,"

"I was always known for my skill with the tongue." Loki chuckled mischievously as his hands undid Tony's belt buckle just enough for him to reach a cold hand south of his belly, roughly gripping Tony's already hard flesh between his fingers.

After that, they both did a whole less talking, and a whole lot more doing.

Twirling expectedly with his fingers around the wet tip of Tony's throbbing arousal, Loki suddenly dipped a nail into its slit, earning a sharp intake of breath from Tony. Constrained by Tony's jeans, Loki nevertheless continued to give limited strokes up and down Tony's shaft, causing Tony to whine in response.

With an expert shift of his body, Loki was now underneath him. Tony had always been heavier than the other man, and he used this to his advantage now. Pinning Loki down, Tony shifted to remove his shirt, exposing tanned brown muscles rippling from the torso all the way to his firm chest. Loki stared in admiration. This mortal's skin was pure honey brown. He had never seen such a beautiful color. Moving his hands greedily over Tony's body, Loki attempted to suck in his warmth. As for Tony, the resultant cool patches made him moan in want and need. It was like fucking an ice block but better, because Tony had no doubt he was going to find warmer, more pliant flesh in other parts of Loki's body.

Soon, Tony was down to his underwear, his erection drawing both pair of eyes and already leaving a wet spot on his briefs. Loki bent forward and gripped both sides of his squarish hips, rolling a tongue lazily across the wet spot of his underwear, nipping at the tip through the fabric.

The moan that resulted was long-drawn and animalistic, making Tony Stark sound rather like a female cat in heat. Tony glared accusingly at Loki.

"Hey! Ask for permission before you do that, sourpuss," he frowned, and added "Otherwise,"

With one fluid movement he had removed the red sash around Loki's waist. Greedy fingers tore at the kimono, eager to expose more of the white flesh underneath. Two hard nubs of nipples stared at Tony from the middle of his chest. Grinning, he nuzzled one of them teasingly with his stubble, and hearing the briefest of moans, he slipped one of them into his hot, wet mouth and bit.

Loki yelped and arched his back off the floor. It was clear he was a masochist, the mounting erection hidden beneath the piles of kimono was testament to that. No matter. Tony Stark liked playing it rough. He proceeded to the other nipple and bit at it with perhaps more force than the other. Then he drew back a little to examine his masterpiece.

Loki's chest was heaving and his heart pounding in his chest, eyes dark green crystal balls of desire. Was that magic he saw swirling around inside them? His sweat-slicked body was surrounded by the discarded cloths of his kimono, some parts torn by Tony's rough handling. Everywhere in the once celibate room stank of sex.

Spying his long, slender white throat, Tony dived for it, contently sucking and licking at the length. Busying himself with giving Loki a hickey, Tony failed to register that Loki was licking his own fingers, and so could barely stop him when Loki grabbed his cock with his wet fingers.

Letting out a moan of surprise as he fell back on his ass, knees open to accommodate the raven haired man, he watched as the man throughly savaged his cock, slurping the entire length down his throat. With each passing moment, Tony found it harder and harder to concentrate. Loki finished with a twist of his tongue on the tip and some teeth, nipping here and there even as he gently cupped the balls.

Slowly, Loki slid a finger up his own ass, then two, then three. He moaned as he did so, and Tony's eyes clouded over with desire. He did not believe things could get dizzier as he felt the narcotic haze of lust take over. When he spoke, his voice had the unmistakable husky notes of the aroused. The warmth was slowly spreading across his entire body, and boy, he just wanted Loki _so goddamn much._

Reaching over, he pulled Loki into a squatting position. This was gonna be rough, but Tony was beyond the point of caring. There was only Loki, and Loki was his prey, his conquest, his his his.

And he was going to take him.

Holding his erection firmly, Tony positioned himself to enter Loki. With a well-placed thrust, he was in the hot squeezing-oh god-of Loki. Loki was moaning and he rolled his hips back and forth, thrusting back onto Tony.

"You want it that badly? I'm gonna give it to you then."

Tony thrusted, a bit more violently than usual, in and out of Loki, while the other man shuddered and writhed underneath him. He leaned forward and held Loki's dick, stroking it repeatedly to the edge of cumming, yet withdrawing everytime he could sense it.

"Not yet, not yet," Tony said through gritted teeth. He was having trouble holding himself back, he wanted to slam repeatedly into the other man's soft tissue, but somehow he was afraid he would break the delicate man.

He could feel Loki's body shudder under his touch and he knew he could no longer hold back. Arms around his waist, he pulled Loki still closer even as his hips thrust faster. Finally, to their enthusiastic cries, both came, well spent from exhaustion, and fell asleep next to each other.

* * *

Later in the night, Loki Laufeyson stood in the garden alone, having been the first to awake. The chilly moon provided no comfort for the unsmiling man. Clutching the blankets wrapped around his naked body, he stole a glance back into the room, where Tony lay sleeping, snoring fitfully.

Today, he felt like he had returned to the early years back when he was still innocent and as thick as thieves with Thor, safe in Frigga's love and amazed by the beauty of Asgard. But it was fleeting, and soon time returned to normal, progressing in a linear fashion, as it had always done and will always do so.


	5. Chapter 5

**A shorter chapter this time round! Don't worry, the action's gonna pick itself up soon enough ;)**

* * *

**- Chapter 5 -  
Birthday Candles**

"And so you slept with another guy?" Clint narrowed his eyes at Tony. "Wow, well done Tony. Continue showing your homosexual preferences, and I might just stay out of your way. For real." He shuddered, then continued. "Man, I have no idea how you can just give up on...boobs."

"Fyi Barton, sleeping with men does not mean I'm gay." Well, not fully anyway, he thought. "I actually still like getting some pussy now and then. And guys have boobs too." Tony added defensively. Admittedly, sleeping with strangers wasn't all new to him. But this Loki...somehow he just couldn't place his finger on him. There was something otherworldly about that guy. Things ended up sounding cheesy whenever he tried to describe Loki.

"Okay, so he has like really beautiful dark hair, really beautiful green eyes and a really hot ass? Sounds like a princess to me." Natasha shrugged.

"Hey, don't twist my words. I didn't say it like that." Tony looked affronted.

"Actually, you did." Quiet Bruce Banner peered up from the science journal he had been reading.

Case in point.

Although Tony didn't let Bruce's quiet demeanor fool him. In reality, it was very very very extremely dangerous to make Bruce angry. He had slipped into a foul mood once over a slice of pizza that Clint had stolen from him. They had to spend weeks living on takeout as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents repaired the damage. And then just because they could, they had charged all the expenses to the Avengers' account. The sneaky bastards.

Bruce, quiet most of the time, content to read his science reviews, was actually a pretty sharp man. He caught on most things automatically, even things left unspoken. He was kinda cute too actually, thought Tony, and then he mentally smacked himself on the forehead. Shit. Why was he thinking of such stuff? Bad Tony, bad.

"So sue me. Okay, so maybe he was a little seductive, maybe he was a little alluring, but that's all over now, right guys? Back to square one? Avengers assemble, and shit like that?" Tony spread both his hands in a reconciliatory gesture.

Natasha cleared her throat. "I really hope so, Tony," she said softly. "The past month had been...difficult." It was clear that this was a difficult topic to broach. She looked uncomfortable, even in a soft grey hoodie and black trackpants.

"What do you mean difficult? Cause if you mean being a pain in the ass, then I've always been difficult. Been difficult my whole life." Tony laughed, but it faltered when he realized that none of them caught his eye. "Guys?"

"The thing is...you were abnormally...destructive." Clint's expression suggested that he would rather have his skin ripped off from his entire body than have this conversation right now.

Tony had always been an unusually difficult man to talk to because of his insurmountable ego, but now it was impossible.

"Someone explain to me what the hell is going on," Tony's eyes flashed darkly. "Or I will rip this place apart." He liked his friends, sure, but sometimes they were a pain in the ass.

Natasha Romanov, or the Black Widow, was an extremely agile assassin and could think on her feet as fast as she could steal cookies from the cookie jar. Clint Barton, Hawkeye and long-timed rumored boyfriend of Natasha (Tony has known they were together ever since Jarvis caught them making out on the couch in the common room), could shoot the eye out from a chicken. In five miles. Bruce Banner was the gentle giant, until he turned angry, and then he was the more-green-and-less-gentle giant, Hulk. The last member was Steve Rogers, who was also the nation's hero and poster boy, Captain America. But no one really called him 'Captain', unless it was during missions, and that was protocol really. And he was mother to them all, always fussing over their meals and exercise.

They were all brilliant and everything, but can't they stop beating about the bush here? Already, Tony could feel his ego prickling.

"Now you sound just like Hulk, no offense big boy," and Bruce waved his comment away. Turning serious brown eyes onto Tony's own ones, he said "Man, you were out of control. Getting drunk, turning up half-dead, not sleeping enough. Steve was so worried. And then there were the mood swings."

Everyone in the room, which is to say the entire team except Steve, who wasn't here, nodded.

"Those were bad. You almost made Bruce angry." Natasha added quietly.

"You wanted me to join you and one of your...she-males in a threesome." Bruce pushed his spectacles up his nose bridge from where it had slipped. "And you refused to take no for an answer."

"Oh, you did sleep though. Sleeping around, that is. About half Manhattan now knows you on a personal, first-name basis." Clint chuckled at his little joke but was soon silenced by Tony's dark look.

"Come on, it wasn't all that bad as I remembered it! I was having a bit of a crisis, that's all." The truth was, Tony couldn't face up to all these accusations, not now. The very thought of himself disgracing the Avengers, not doing his duty well enough, not fulfilling his role, overstepping certain unnamed boundaries, looking for the same face among the many strangers he had brought home...

The atmosphere was suffocating itself with tension, and Bruce looked ready to erupt into his monstrous green twin. Hulk was much less easier to rear back in a tension saturated situation.

Just as Tony was about to call it quits and leave the room without handing them their souvenirs, Steve Rogers burst into the room with his brilliant smile.

"Welcome back, Tony!" proceeding to envelope Tony in a big hug.

Thank God for Steve Rogers.

The negative energy dissipated in a flash. Everyone let out a huge sigh of relief, and even Tony, who usually had no patience with Steve's ye olde fashioned styles of greeting, let him in a rare show of generosity. Bruce looked a little less green as well.

"What's wrong? Something happened?" Steve narrowed his eyes and sensing no response, quickly turned his attention back to Tony. "Sorry I wasn't here earlier. Had a meeting with Fury." he shrugged his shoulders as if to say, you know, the works.

And Tony did know. Being the leader of the Avengers meant paperwork, meetings, conference calls, press releases (because, heck, were they popular) and zero me time. He could only imagine how it felt like to be Steve. No wonder he was always so chirpy around them. Long nights up all alone with work must have been lonely. Tony knew that feeling. Steve craved human warmth, and he looked for it in the company of his friends.

"Hey Captain. Long time no see, and no problem." Tony grinned at the childlike simplicity of the smile on Steve's face, and clapped a friendly hand on his biceps. "Working hard I see." Tony cocked an eyebrow. Was that a blush he saw spreading over Steve's cheekbones? Damn. His little one night stand must have been affecting him in ways he didn't even notice. Loki was quick to show emotions too, but somehow it was not like Steve. Loki was a bracing storm while Steve was a summer gale. It was different.

"Someone sure is chirpy. Feeling better after the Kyoto trip?"

Tony felt a twinge of annoyance but decided to ignore it. His friends had to stop asking whether he was okay, he felt right as rain. Heck, he felt as right as sunshine. He realized that Steve must have been the one to book the Kyoto trip. Well. Typical of him. Not that he minded as much anymore.

"I guess. Come and see what I got for you guys."

That immediately prompted a buzz of activity around Tony as the Avengers surrounded him, all interested eyes and prying fingers prodding the two large carriers he had with him. Even Bruce had set down his review.

"Guys, I appreciate your enthusiasm." Tony said in a mock sarcastic tone.

"Oh, don't be such a sap," Natasha swatted at him playfully. "Where's my present? What did you get me?"

Tony handed out the presents.

Natasha got a toy poodle plush, which she grabbed enthusiastically in her hands and squealed. It had curly brown fur and a pink ribbon around its collar. She spent the rest of the day bugging Clint about buying her a real one and acting like a little girl whenever someone passed her way, saying "Isn't she just an absolute darling?"

Clint, on the other hand, got the latest Final Fantasy game from Japan.

"Sweet! They haven't released it here yet!"

"Oh right. Remind me. That had absolutely nothing to do with the reason why I bought you the game. A simple thank you would have sufficed, just like Natasha. Spare me the squeals though." Tony rolled his eyes.

Bruce got a watch. It was a beautiful piece, all sliver and chrome and leather.

"You probably shouldn't wear it that much though," Tony wrinkled his nose. "At least, not till I'm done tweaking it such that your twin doesn't break it." He knew of Bruce's fondness of watches and how it saddened him that he was no longer able to wear any since the existence of his twin, who managed to break each and every one.

Bruce's eyes sparkled with gratitude as he said a soft 'Thanks'. Well, there's a good start.

Tony turned around to the accusing stare of Steve.

Steve looked embarrassed as he said gruffly, "Where's mine?" Steve sounded like a five year old who woke up on Christmas day to find no presents under the tree.

Tony chuckled. "Steve," playfully wagging his finger at the older man. "Didn't mommy teach you any manners?" Steve flushed an even darker shade of beet red. God, he was so cute to tease sometimes. And that, was for Kyoto, he thought silently.

"Just kidding, pal. Here." He handed him a wrapped package.

"Hey, why is his wrapped and mine isn't?" Clint protested and Natasha was about to follow suit when Tony shushed them.

"Steve likes things the ol' American way, and the cowboys told me that presents are only presents when they're wrapped." Tony winked. "Open it, go on."

Steve pulled the ribbons off the box.

"Jarvis, lights."

Instantly, the whole room was bathed in the soft glow that came from the 15 candles on Steve's cake.

"Happy Birthday to you..."

The birthday song finished with a whoop from the over-excited Clint who, with his speedy fingers, had lit all the candles the moment the cake was revealed.

"Happy birthday." Tony beamed. "Now make a wish honey! Before you blow them out."

There was still the faint lingering smell of smoke when Jarvis switched the lights on again at Tony's commands. Steve was looking like he was the luckiest man on Earth.

"We didn't forget your birthday," Natasha smiled.

"Or your present. Man, they called me when I was in japan just to pick out your gift! Here." Tony pulled a stuffed toy out from behind his back.

It was a Rillakuma bear. Two pink dots appeared on Steve's cheeks as he accepted the gift with a barely audible 'Thanks', clutching it preciously to his chest.

Tony smiled.

Kids.


	6. Chapter 6

**A shorter chapter this time guize! :) Hope you like it ~**

* * *

**- Chapter 6 - **

**The Two Brothers**

New york was a strange place.

Loki stared disinterestedly at the skyscrapers and office buildings around him, glittering in the sun. Unconsciously, he had followed some sort of trail that led him here. Even Loki couldn't explain it, but it was the faint tugging of his instincts, a nagging feeling in his gut that caused him to board the earliest flight to America and to New york.

The place, unlike Japan, smelled of ice cream and candy floss immediately upon arrival. It had none of the natural scenery and beauty that Japan was so full of. At least, nothing that he could see yet. His delicate nose had also picked up the unmistakable stench of reused oil, a sure indication of fast food.

The restaurant in question was just across the street from where he was standing. He made his way over, curiosity piqued.

Loki peered into the windows. He had seen those two golden arches on the roof in Kyoto too, but he was surprised to see them here again. Inside, kids unwrapped shiny papers, revealing the round sandwiches beneath. What were these things?

Children and their parents sat around the number of bright, colorful plastic chairs, giggling happily as their chins got stained with ketchup and mayo. Loki watched with envy as one of the parents, a father, used a piece of tissue and gently wiped the stain off his kid's cheeks. The child gurgled happily and Loki's chest tightened.

"What kind of clothes are he wearing?"

"Freak."

Loki's sharp hearing had picked up the smattering of conversation around him. Unsurprisingly, it was about him. To be more precise, it was his out-of-place clothing that drew their unwanted attention.

Looking around, Loki realized that he stood out like a canary among a flock of crows with his bright kimono. He hadn't thought to change his clothes when he flew for New york. He didn't ever change clothes much in Asgard, so why start now?

Apparently now was as good a time as any to start, judging by the steadily rising number of glances he received.

Loki eyebrows furrowed into a crease along his smooth forehead. What should he wear? He had never once thought to study America when reading about Midgard in the vast musty libraries back home in Asgard. Home. He gritted his teeth and thought, not any more.

Asgard was no more home than Jotunheimr.

Modeling himself on passerbys, Loki ended up wearing a dark green cashmere sweater paired with smooth dark brown pants, ending with a pair of comfortable black suede loafers. Granted, the guy was wearing wool but Loki had standards after all.

Already, New York was feeling the first stirrings of what promised to be a chilly winter to come.

Loki was glad he had the sweater after all, and it kept him reasonably warm against the bracing pre-winter winds. He already despised the weather and New york by connection. The winds reminded him too much of another place, in another time, where he had also stood, chilled to the bone as flakes of ice dropped around him, green eyes staring defiantly into red ones, and Loki felt the whole world tilt below his feet...

He blinked.

By some unconscious will of his own, Loki had caused the duck pond in the middle of Central park to flood. Continuously like a dam, the seemingly endless supply of water flowed out, flooding the immediate areas around it. Picnickers screamed as they ran to get out of the way and cyclists swerved to a stop in their path, awe and horror stricken at the same time. The water was proving to be unstoppable and New york city risked having a mini tsunami right about then.

Loki didn't even know how he had gotten there in the first place. He certainly did not remember walking into a park, much less standing in front of a fountain.

This was certainly not how he had imagined making an impression on New york.

He watched cooly as he saw the water enveloping the citizens around him, carrying them with its strong currents. Women screamed out of horror and men out of desperation as everyone scrambled to reach high ground, anywhere that could escape the water. The Sahara desert sounded like a good place right now.

Out of the corner of his eye, as Loki beheld his masterpiece, he saw a young boy. He was holding an ice cream cone that had long melted, the strawberry trickling down his fingers in a long sticky mess. The boy was bawling his lungs out for his mummy, will somebody please help him find his mummy he was scared and he wanted his mummy.

A tall column of water was headed his way.

Loki's heart gripped in a way that had not happened since he was born, and had a habit of doing so much more often lately. Usually during his encounters with the Stark man.

Without pausing for thought, Loki raised both hands and muttered a spell.

Immediately, all the escaping water within a 100 mile radius froze into ice.

Loki scooped the crying boy into his arms and carried him to a dry embankment nearby.

"Your mum will be here soon. I promise." Loki flashed the boy one of his rarer smiles, the one that was genuine and caused butterflies in the tummies of anyone who happened to see it. The child calmed down, sniffled once and nodded. Loki patted his head and swung around to face the crowd of thousands that had gathered around him.

An empty coke can hit his head squarely at the temple.

"Get away from my child, you sneaking bastard!" A red-faced, slightly plump middle aged woman was advancing towards him. Behind Loki, the child gave a yelp of happiness and shouted "Mummy! Mummy!"

"Watch it, mortal." Suddenly, Loki's eyes were two livid thunderbolts, and the air smelled like singed hair. His brother wasn't the only one who could summon thunder.

"I saw you!" she hissed fiercely into Loki's face as she drew up close, her spit coating his face. In her eyes he saw defiance, anger and just a bit of uncertainty. But not fear. The courage of Midgardians were not without proof. But how foolish it seemed in persons so small and how lethal the combination of courage and ignorance.

"Then you would have seen how I just saved your son's life!" he spat. Magical energy sparkled at his fingertips and he was poised, ready for combat. He could feel the electricity surging through his body.

"All I saw was you unleashing that torrent of water against us!" The boy had ran to her safe embrace, and she gripped him securely in her arms, with the fierceness of a lioness protecting her cubs.

"Mummy..."

"Hush, little one. I'm not going to let him hurt you, I promise."

Loki's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene before him. Some people hovered uncertainly around the edges, but most were defiant, their stance proud and angry, rallied by the mother's pep talk.

"And so even the Midgardians would not trust me, even though I seek your kind extending an olive branch? Has the name of Liesmith spread so far that it should touch Midgard? Am I to find peace elusive, even as I seek, crying her name?" he laughed, a harsh note, and continued. "Very well. I have learnt. Loki shall not be defied!"

This time, the energy whirling around his hands had drawn themselves into a hurricane and overhead, dark clouds responded. With his magic, Loki had turned the sunny sky into a smoldering thunderstorm and it looked as if night had befallen. Gusts of strong wind uprooted trees, even ancient oaks in the park and everywhere was filled with the sound of people screaming.

Standing nearest to him had been the mother, and she shrieked as she held onto a branch of ice and her feet dug backwards into the ground, desperate not to lose her footing and carrying her child along with it. The cold, Jotunian ice stung her hands, and she screamed in pain, the grip burning with the intensity of dry ice.

"No, stop stop! Stop it!" the boy wailed from his position in his mother's arms, and Loki's heart filled with a terrible ache.

The boy's eyes were filled with the same look of horror and sorrow he had when he was younger and Odin, always proud to showcase his powers, had struck down a condemned prisoner with the Mjolnir, the poor guy's guts spilling all around him as the force of the magical weapon had smashed his skull into pieces. Some of the blood had gotten onto Loki's face and he had cried and begged his violent father to stop, stop, I don't want him to die, but it was all too late of course...

Cursing, he commanded the magic to stop. The sky was still overcast, and would be for a few hours till night came. Stealing one last look at the crying boy's face, Loki disappeared, apparated in a cloud of sulphur.

* * *

Out of breath, Loki leaned against one of the white pillars of Grand Central Station. Unwittingly again, he had apparated without a clear destination in mind and had ended up in this train station. He barked a short, guttural laugh. Trains. A pathetic transport system that the mortals had dreamt up. He had read about it somewhere.

Tourists and citizens alike milled around him, unsuspecting. News would reach them soon enough. And New york would no longer be the safe haven that it had seemed to promise. He needed to escape, flee to another country. On the run again. Maybe he could return to Kyoto, spending the rest of his life there as a mountain hermit or something. Never mind the wrenching gut feeling tangling his stomach into knots that had brought him here and seemed to wound tighter and tighter with each passing second. Loki thought it might be a stitch, except he hadn't done any running.

Contrary as it would seem, magic was depletable, but only under circumstances of great exertion and duress. Loki glanced down at his fingers sullenly. Enough magic left for a last apparation, he thought as he looked at the dull green flames swirling around his index and pinky. Better made it count.

As he shut his eyes and thought of Venezuela or some other exotic place like India or Papa New Guinea, he was struck by a horrible jerk in his chest. Unable to control his jerky spasms and sporadic movements, he fell to the floor, looking for all the world like a stroke victim.

As he lay there twitching, a horrible idea bloomed across his mind, faint but still discernible.

Thor had just arrived on Earth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Whoops, had to re-upload this shit again cause I was too excited that my internet came back on to edit my doc before uploading straight away :-x So there you have it, Chapter 7 guize! :***

* * *

**- Chapter 7 -**

**Don't Dream It's Over**

It had been a few days since Tony's return and already he had bored his fellow members crazy with his oft-repeated tales of travel.

"Did I tell you about the Geishas? Huh Bruce, did I?"

Bruce sighed. Tony had only him left to bug, which all in all, was not an entirely pleasant idea. The rest had gotten tired of him or worse, impatient, and Steve was always so busy, it was up to Bruce to entertain Tony. And frankly, he wasn't sure how long he could keep it up before his twin started taking over. He had a feeling it would be _very_ soon. Then perhaps he can finally bash Tony's head into the wooden floor, watching dispassionately as the force of it would almost certainly send Tony hurtling towards the ground floor and finally relieve some of this -

_Hold your horses, Bruce_. He had spent about a year taking anger management classes and he readily decided he didn't want to be back again so soon. Calming himself down ('Release your chakra with a slow exhaled breathe...that's right, let your power animal guide you through all the nine doors of the soul.', his mentor's voice whispered in his head.), he put his book down in order to face Tony.

"Yes, you did, Tony"" Bruce said with an air of infinite patience. "You know Tony, if I really wanted to know that much about Kyoto, I would've bought myself a guidebook." If the Avengers didn't get some work soon...

As usual, Tony wasn't paying attention to anything but the sound of his own voice. "Oh, but did I also mention -"

And on and on and on it went. It was impossible to stop Tony. He was like a bullet train, picking up speed as he went along, until it reached his station or Bruce's demise, whichever came first. These days, Tony was uncharacteristically cheerful. Almost too cheerful, like he was concealing something. Bruce was sure Tony had a few ghosts in the closet that he didn't want to talk about. But that was okay, who didn't?

Still, even this excessively cheerful self was better than that brooding drunkard cum sex fiend a few weeks back. Japan. Must be a magical place to have changed Tony so much in so few days.

Maybe he should pay Kyoto a visit soon, Bruce thought.

* * *

Tony couldn't sleep. The nights were restless and he was like a hyperactive puppy by day.

His thoughts about Loki was consuming him. Loki kept appearing in his head during inopportune moments of the day. Most notably during meetings with Fury.

"Stark, are you listening? Somebody check that man. Has he been bewitched?"

Tony had been imagining a naked Loki walking around the conference room, a smirk on his lips, teasingly inviting him to follow.

He could feel Steve's cool hand over his forehead, and he swatted it off, annoyed because the hand had reminded him of Loki's touch.

* * *

It had been a casual enough patrol around the city when the radio came in.

"All available agents, I repeat, all available agents, please proceed to Central Park now. _Now_. That means you, Avengers." Fury's voice boomed over the static-filled speaker in his helmet.

Finally. Something interesting.

"Okie dokie," Tony, as Iron Man, looped a few flashy circles in the air before swooping towards Central Park at top speed.

He liked flying in the suit. It had been far too long since he was last in this suit and he had forgotten what it felt like to be Iron Man, to feel the wind gliding beneath him, so _powerful_, and -

Holy mother of god. Tony watched, his pupils dilated behind his Iron man's helmet, as a black burst of thunderclouds proceeded rapidly in his direction. Swooping lower to escape the boiling storm, he yelled into the intercom.

"Avengers do you hear me? Code red, I repeat, code red, guys! There's a motherfucking thunderstorm in here,"

_What could have caused that_, he thought. It was definitely synthetic. There was just too much intent to destroy in it to be real. Maybe it was another of Doctor Doom's poisonous cloud of toxins or something. Tony belatedly hoped he hadn't breathed in too much of the fumes.

"Jarvis, give me a sweep of the surroundings. Also, gather a composite of the storm cloud and figure out its components. Somehow, it doesn't feel right to me. It smells somewhat...unnatural."

"Already done sir."

"I do wish you wouldn't get so ahead of yourself next time, Jarvis, but never mind, results?"

"Detected strange energy source coming from the direction of Central park, sir. Unknown composites of thunderclouds, but I'm almost 100% certain that it is not natural. In fact, it doesn't contain the usual hydrogen and oxygen compounds. Elements unknown, but it has the same energy signal as that which was coming from Central park."

"Unknown huh...thanks Jarvis."

"No problem sir. Allow me to point out also that the visible energy signal from Central park is rapidly disappearing with every word that's being exchanged between us?"

_Shit._

"You could have warned me faster! Transfer all power source to rocket boosters now, top speed Jarvis!"

"I didn't think it was my place to comment on the suitability of your actions, sir."

Ouch. So apparently Jarvis bore grudges. Those were Tony's exact comments directed at Jarvis during a search and destroy mission regarding some of Doom's missiles. Mentally, he filed this piece of information in his brain. No need to get on the bad side of this British dude.

Tony was already soaring through the air, and soon Central park was in sight.

"Come in Iron man, come in, do you copy?" Rogers' voice sounded in his helmet.

"What's up capt?" Even in the helmet Tony couldn't help grinning at the sound of Steve's voice.

"All units heading to Central park, over. We all caught sight of your thunderclouds, seeing as it had spread across all of New york city, it would be impossible not to do so."

So the situation was that bad.

"No need to get your panties in a twist yet, captain. Our guy's attempting to escape, but I'm already on my way. He's not going to get out of this bind."

_I hope_, Tony added silently. The criminal must be a new guy around here since Jarvis had identified the energy signal as foreign. _Great. _Another addition to the party that never ends in NYC. Maybe he should start a Rogues Gallery and rename himself Batman.

Still, to be able to conjure a thunderstorm of such scale meant that he was worth his weight in villainy. This was a strong one and would come with much resistance. Tony could smell the other man's defiance in the thunderclouds.

"Jarvis give me a lock-on on our boy's signal."

"Energy signal rapidly disappearing sir. Losing all contact in 5, 4, 3 -"

Tony bent his body down, almost like a rocket. He thought he probably looked like Astro boy in that cheesy Japanese cartoon. No matter. He had to reach him before his signature disappeared. He told Steve he would.

"- 2, 1. Sir, lock-on disengaged due to the lack of data present. He has completely evaporated sir."

Just as his feet touched the ground. _Damn_. The spicy stench of sulphur prickles his nostrils. It smells just like burning hair. What just happened?

Tony removed his helmet and what he saw stunned him.

He had been concentrating too hard on flying fast that he had failed to assess the damage done to the park. Now he truly took it in the first time.

Jagged ice sculptures stood up from the ground, which was unleveled in some areas, and uprooted trees lay like corpses over park benches and lampposts. Broken underground pipes meant that water gushed out non-stop and had already converted the area into a swampy enclave. Victims, many of them crying or groaning in pain, were strewn around the landscape like rag dolls, their faces muddied and bleeding from the multitudes of scratches and cuts. What made it worse was that the entire park was decked out in darkness, steeped in shadows that blanketed the entire capital as well.

"Jarvis."

"Perimeter sweep commencing. Just to confirm sir, still no sign of energy trace within the next 100 miles."

It could be annoying, but overall Tony decided that it was a good thing that Jarvis could read his mind.

"Could you also assess the damage while you're at it?"

He left the A.I. to it while he walked over to a frightened mother clutching her son to her chest. With a click, his faceplate opened, revealing the man behind it.

"You alright mam?"

"I saw him. He tried, he tried to kill us, he really did. His eyes, they were ghostly, they didn't belong here. He wanted to kill my son, yes, he wanted to. And I stopped him."

"Calm yourself mam." She was in a state of hysteria, and he didn't want to do this but he had to. Like oysters, memories were best plucked fresh.

"Could you describe him for me?"

"He was tall, about your height. Fair, pale as the moon. He had black hair. Wearing a green sweater and brown pants. I have never seen a more devilish person!"

Tony cocked an eyebrow, and addressed Jarvis.

"Did you get all of that?"

"Word for word, sir."

"Run it through our database then. See if there's a match." He didn't think there would be, it was obvious that their man was a newbie. Even if he was formidable. He had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"What happened here?"

"He threatened us, he was holding that boy hostage," An old man had spoken up and was pointing at the cowering child in his mother's arms. "Then, he waved his hands and electricity surged out of him and created that." His accusing finger pointed upwards towards the black sky.

Tony had doubled up with laughter. He couldn't help it. Magic, mojo and mumble jumbo? Sorry, but that was so childhood and all that.

The old man seemed affronted and huffed his chest. "It is true what I tell you!"

"I'm sorry, do you mind if I asked someone probably a lot less...senile?" Tony was wiping tears out of his eyes. That did it. The old man stalked off angrily, and Tony resumed interviewing the victims.

Except that all of them gave an account similar to the old man's. Granted, there were some variations, but the main storyline ran through.

"...and I was like, wow, cool hair dude, when he suddenly freezes the entire lake into ice, see those sculptures there? Kinda Monet huh?"

"Actually Monet was more famous for his paintings -"

"Dude chill. Do you wanna hear the story or not? As I was saying - where was I?"

Tony could feel an aneurysm coming.

"Water turned to ice?" he said painfully through gritted teeth to the teenager dressed in board shorts that exposed two long hairy legs. It was freezing out there, but the teenager appeared not to notice, stuffing his hands in his pockets and occasionally adjusting the visor on his beach blonde hair.

"Oh, right, right. So he waves his hands, and the water turned to ice. I wasn't looking right about there, but then," he leans in closer in a conspiratorial whisper. "I have some pretty reliable sources say he is the son of the devil because he waves his hands again and conjures up this magic storm."

"I don't think I would care to trust the account of someone who regards his granny as a 'pretty reliable source'. Still, thanks for your help," Tony added, staring into the teenager's poor, confused eyes.

"You're welcome, dude. Although there's one part I don't get. You see, him stopping the water actually saved some lives. Then why would he create such a monstrous storm then? Also, he actually quit making the storm right after a while?"

"Yeah me neither." That was a valid point, even Tony had to concede that. Why save people then turn around and kill them and then save them again?

But the idea of magic being involved was just preposterous. Yet every single one of his eyewitness' accounts had led up to that, at one point or another.

Because he refused to believe in the existence of magic, Tony began searching for the technology that had created the thunderclouds when the rest of the avengers arrived.

"How's it hanging bro?" Clint's cheeky smile greeted the half-crazed Tony.

"All out and dangling. It's incredible the kind of bullshit around here. I highly suspect a hypnotist, with a penchant for mass brain washing."

"But that still does not explain the dark clouds." observed Bruce. He had arrived without changing into the Hulk, hitching a ride in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s massive helicopter. Agents began pouring out of the vehicle and did what they do best. Civilian control. Somehow, the organization's strengths lay in reactionary, not precautionary measures.

"Here, guys. Take a long at this." Steve's serious tone had drawn their attention successfully and the Avengers gathered around him. His hand was placed on one of the crystal structures.

The ice was blue, the shade of colored diamonds, glittering on the various cracked ridges in the park. Central park looked like a winter wonderland...in Hell.

"The ice, it is cold,"

"No shit, captain."

"Hawkeye, it is not just cold. It is freezing and it stings. Ouch." Pulling back his bare hand, the group was shocked to see that the once smooth palm was now bright red and raw.

"Special ice huh...Jarvis, I want a sample of this waiting for me in the lab when I get back. Also, it doesn't seem to melt..." The whole thing was getting stranger and stranger.

"Hello? Can anyone maybe fill me in?" Natasha looked pointedly at Tony.

And so he did, repeating the various eyewitness' accounts.

"Magic?" Bruce snorted, and Tony's heart lifted at this little sign of disbelief. Good ol' doctor. Tony did always have a soft spot in his heart for Bruce.

Suddenly, a tiny figure tottered over. It was the boy, the child of the hysterical mother.

"Excuse me, Mr Iron Man?"

The rest of the team left him to it and began their discussion elsewhere. Fan greetings were a part of superhero stardom. Tony smiled and bent down on one foot to be on eye level with the child.

'Yes, kiddo?'

'Ummm, I just wanted to say that he is innocent,' The boy's wide, honey colored eyes pleaded with Tony. 'Please don't punish him,' He added.

'Bad guys have to be punished, that's how they know that they have done something wrong. Don't you get punished when you do something wrong too?'

'But mummy doesn't punish me when I do something _right_! He saved me. He hasn't done anything bad!' The boy was positively wailing now, his plantitive expression full of hurt.

As Tony was contemplating the finer implications that this would bring, he was interrupted by Jarvis' voice.

"May I interrupt this captivating moment with the news that I have once again picked up the route of the rouge energy source. It would seem that this time, it is coming from the direction of Stark Towers."

"I'm on my way," Tony was already off the ground before Jarvis' transmission was complete. "And may I add that you have indeed not made me regret my decision to construct you, all those years ago."

"Thank you for your earnest flattery sir."

Steve's voice came through the speakers in his helmet. "What's wrong Tony, why have you taken off -"

"No time to explain, Steve. Just gather everyone and recon at Stark Towers." and then he added with a grin.

"We got our man."

* * *

It had taken them two days, Asgardian time, to sort out the Bifrost. Apparently Loki had jammed it with a curse when he used it, intending to stall for time. Well, it had worked. Two days were equivalent to two weeks down in Midgard, and it took as long for a team of the most highly skilled magicians to remove the curse. As no sorcerer in the 9 realms had power comparable to that which Loki held, Thor couldn't blame them.

After its reparation, Fandral had insisted on following Thor to Midgard.

"Father has given no one permission but me, Fandral. I'm sorry, my friend. No, my brother," Thor said as he pulled Fandral closer for a hug. Thor told himself he had only imagined the glint of resentment in Fandral's eyes. "I know you have suffered at the hands of my younger brother, and on his behalf, I offer you apologies. I will hunt him down and make him realize his follies. And then, I will bring him home to Asgard. Father has no wish to disown him, as of yet." Fandral sniffed and nodded his head.

Thor had never been as good with words as Loki, and more or less repeated the same speech he had given Fandral to Sif, who was waiting for him near the gates of the Bifrost with the same request as Fandral. He then added more chirpily, "Loki must be truly lucky to be so loved by his friends. He would be happy once I tell him."

"Do not tell him, Thor!" Sif pleaded, biting the corner of her lip, a habit she had when she was nervous.

Thor shook his head in confusion. "But why?" By then, Sif looked so conflicted and agonized that he just sat her down and stroked her hair and told her not to cry and that she must be brave.

In the end, he said "I must go," and she whispered, "I will miss you, my brother." before enveloping him into a hug.

They were of course, not siblings in bloodline, but some ties are thicker than blood and stronger than lineage.

Their farewell was tearful and sad, but somehow Thor was glad that Sif had been there to send him off. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for Midgard. He would find Loki, and Loki would return, for his dear brother's sake.

Oh, he would, wouldn't he?

* * *

Loki had used the last drops of his magic to apparate to where the magical connection was strongest. It was causing his head to whizz right now, his breathing labored and choked. Silently, he awaited the arrival of his brother. Perhaps he could take Thor out with one, clean burst of magical energy.

Meanwhile, it would do him no harm to survey his surroundings for a bit.

Looking around, he noticed for the first time where he was at. Loki was perched on the roof of a highly sophisticated steel tower. In the overcast sky, it's multiple satellites were giving off pinpoints of red lights, blinking like eyes in the darkness. The whole building seemed to be constructed entirely of steel and glass windows, which offered a generous view of its inner workings. Inside was a long table, more like a workbench than anything. Loki's sensitive ears soon picked up the gentle tell-tale hum of security cameras. Whrrrr.

The wind was picking up. Loki clutched his arms around himself and pulled the sweater closer to his body. He did not have much magic left, not even enough to keep his body warm in these freezing circumstances. Perhaps now was not such a good time to kill Thor.

Mumbling a curse, he rubbed his arms with more vigor and stared at the glowing billboard underneath his feet. It was right in front of him, fronting the building in loud, blue neon obnoxious letters.

He froze.

The words shouted 'Stark Industries' for miles to see.

Loki laughed. It was too much of a coincidence to be true. Yet Stark didn't sound like a common last name to have. Could they be the same person? That loud-mouthed, brash man he had slept with was really a business tycoon? And one with a few secrets too many, it seemed.

Then Loki stopped thinking because Thor had arrived on the roof with a crash.

* * *

Thor had entered the Bifrost full of courage and hope in finding his brother, but he was wondering, perhaps that had been a little misplaced? The trips was gut-wrenching, to say the least, traveling through a magical hydraulic tube full of iridescent blue lights were not Thor's way of spending a quiet morning.

Or evening, as it would seem on Migard.

He had tumbled roughly from where the Bifrost had spat him out. It had been programmed to dump Thor where Loki, presumably, was in the vicinity of. Giddy and looking like he was thrown off the deep end of the pool, Thor climbed to his feet and shook the dizziness out of his head.

Drawing a deep breath, he bellowed.

"Brother!"

* * *

Loki had slipped into the shadows as soon as he heard the noise. Now he was fully invisible due to a spell. Thor wouldn't be able to tell where he was.

On the downside, he had completely drained his magic and probably couldn't teleport to safety if needed. He was trapped.

Loki peered out from his hiding place beside the ventilator shaft and looked at Thor, who had just arrived fresh from the Bifrost. The last traces of blue energy surrounded him and it took a while for them to dissipate. The princes of Asgard found it hard to shake off the familiar smell of home that lingered in the air like a ghostly waft.

His first sight of Thor was his cape, red and billowing around him like a parachute and his steel armor, which gleamed from numerous loving polishes by Thor. It was not exactly Midgardian steel, like the material of Stark towers. This was dwarven steel, crafted to perfection and made to last an eternity. As always, Thor's tousled blonde locks which framed his squarish jaw in a way that must have made his eyes hurt. It was long and messy, like a wavy curtain of gold. Loki did not understand how anyone could stand to have messy fringes. Personally, he liked his dark hair slicked and combed back stylishly.

Of course, seeing his brother always brought about mixed feelings. Chief among his emotions were bitterness at seeing his dearest rival standing so close, without even a shadow of a doubt that he was here to rescue Loki and bring him back. Loki didn't need rescuing. He ground his teeth together unhappily. Japan was a distant memory now, a dreamscape that Loki wasn't even sure existed. He had been known to tear dimensional holes in which to escape a current unpleasant situation or fate. When he was 12, he had ripped a hole in the Asgardian space time dimension which almost caused the destabilizing of the entire 9 realms.

All the events of the previous days receded until all that were left to think about was the incident on Asgard with Fandral. It all came back with a flash, the lynch mob, Fandral's smirk, Thor's disbelief...

That's right. Thor didn't believe him, so why had he come here for? If he thought he was going to bring Loki back for punishment, then he was sorry to say that his brother was dead wrong. There was no way the trickster was going back without a fight.

"Brother!" Thor wailed. Loki couldn't help but roll his eyes. Sometimes his brother was just so dramatic.

"Where are you? It is I, your brother, Thor!"

The edges of Loki's mouth twitched and threatened to turn into a full-blown grimace. If Thor didn't stop shouting soon, all of New York would come and investigate. He was pretty sure the owner of this tower would.

Life was so unfair. Thor had everything he ever wanted, power, prestige, popularity. In a way, Thor was the man Loki never was. Thor, his elder brother, used to be his idol, the man he looked up to and wanted to be when he grew up. Except that he was denied of the same opportunities as his brother.

He hated his brother, hated him for everything he had that Loki didn't and nobody had realized that he needed as well. That was the sad fate of being second best.

A fire had started blooming in his stomach, and unlike the warm sensation that has consumed him during his night of passion with Tony Stark, this one was consuming, searing through his flesh and he felt as if he was torn over multiple times. When Loki peered at Thor from his hiding place, his green eyes had taken on an intense shade of emerald.

Clearly in anguish, Thor let out a full "Arghhh!" and pointed Mjolnir heavenward. A crackle of thunder reached out a fiery tendril, making contact with Mjolnir even as the heavy smell of lightning pervaded Loki's nostrils. Thor was angry and agitated now, and Loki decided that being around him was not exactly the best place to be.

* * *

Before he even reached his tower and his house, Tony Stark could already see a gigantic flash of light. Except it didn't make sense because the holographic light shone directly down from the dark sky, infusing its surroundings with a sea of blue. And then, it was gone as abruptly as it had began.

"Jarvis, did you manage to capture that?"

"Of course sir."

"Good. Because lately things have been strange. Blue light, burning ice, flash floods. Jesus."

As Iron Man flew closer to the roof, (because evidently that was where the party was happening), he could just about make out a vague figure pointing something at the sky. Maybe that was the device that was triggering all these changes. Oh, what he would do to have that in his grasp. Tony prided himself on being a mad genius and his reputation at inventing meant that he was automatically intrigued by any new discoveries. Especially one that seemed bent on overtaking his creative genius.

Just as he said "Jarvis, give me a close up," a huge lightning bolt crackled across the sky and connected with the mystery man, flowing through his entire body.

A human conductor? Tony was almost bursting with excitement. Possibilities swam through his mind. A lab experiment gone awry perhaps, or the injection of any lethal combination of fluids that should have taken out the man but instead gave him the power of a hydroelectric dam? Or even more horrifying and intriguing...perhaps another suit modeled upon his own? A suit that gave you special immunity against lightning? What else could explain why the guy was still standing after what had to be 3 million volts? Tony didn't like plagiarism but hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all.

"Iron Man, do you copy?"

"Hey, I missed you too, Capt."

"We're on our way. Anything of interest?"

"Only if you wanna catch our criminal." Tony couldn't help the smile that was spreading across his face. Soon, very soon, he would be face to face with the guy, and would debunk all of those magic mambo jambo. Finally, science would take its rightful place amongst the natural laws of the world.

He couldn't wait.


	8. Chapter 8

**- Chapter 8 -**

**Lightning & Iron**

Tony was thinking that perhaps he shouldn't have been so quick to approach the mystery man because he was scary. Howling like a wolf, his messy hair hiding his two fever-crazed eyes, Tony was almost certain he was dealing with a lunatic instead of what he had assumed to be a science genius. The man looked like something out of History channel, particularly that segment about Norse mythology. Actually, screw that. He looked like something straight from National Geographic Wild.

The hulking figure was holding his hammer in what was decidedly a very aggressive posture. His red cape flapped around him like a banner or a flag, unfurling across the lightning stricken sky, making him look even larger than he already was. Two keen blue eyes was staring at the approaching figure of Tony Stark. AKA Iron Man. He pulled to a stop just before the mystery man, hovering in the air by the strength of his repulsers.

'Not exactly the best way to introduce myself, but I -'

'Where is my brother?'

Tony's eyes blinked inside his suit. There's another one? He mentally suppressed a groan. One monster was all they could deal with now, because it is obvious that the guy was totally out of control, wasn't it? Any hope Tony had of engaging the man in an intellectual discussion over science and technology was silently banished to the back of his mind. Could he have made a mistake? Maybe this guy was not who they were searching for...but let's not jump to conclusions here. Most scientific geniuses were deranged after all. Just look at Bruce Banner.

'What does he look like? Cause I'm pretty sure if you get down from the roof of my building, we can head to the nearest police station to file a missing persons report.'

Thor uttered a guttural sound and Tony winced. It was pretty obvious to the both of them that he had said the wrong thing.

'No one should speak of my brother like that. No one.' Thor growled, clearly emphasizing on the last phrase. 'This is your building?'

'Yeah. Kindly step down from there, good sir, so that we might have a chat?'

'I'm not sure I like the tone in your voice, bronze man.'

That did it now. Tone aside, but bronze? Seriously? He was insulting Tony's newest invention and baby, the hundreds of Nano-Machines that could be called upon to turn into any type of structure upon his skin and facilitated his fast transformation into Iron Man. Metal was nothing compared to this intricate technology. Besides, was the man color-blind? His suit was all bright reds and golds. Bronze was so, I don't know, last millennium?

Tony gritted his teeth as he told himself to keep his cool. Didn't they always tell you to be loving and patient with mental nutcases and the intellectually challenged alike? Silently, he congratulated himself for putting up with this bear man. Also, he had long written off the man as a prime example of the former case.

'Why did you do what you did in Central Park?'

'What did I do? I do not understand your accusation, Midgardian.'

'You know, the bunch of ice sculptures and land leveling stunt? I didn't know that Central Park was undergoing a major landscaping.'

Loki's heart stopped in his chest. So the Midgardian had come after him after discovering his deed in the park. And he had wrongly thought it was Thor. He should have known there would be repercussions. He peered more closely at the man in the suit. So this was the Midgardian peacekeeping forces?

'What landscaping? I know not that of which you speak of.'

Tony silently cursed. This conversation was not going as he had planned in his mind while coming here. They were supposed to be discussing about the finer intricacies of his machine and how he had managed to create ice, at the end of which Tony would offer him a once in a lifetime opportunity to work for Stark Industries as his assistant. Why was the guy trying so hard to deny it?

'Let me assure you that I would not arrest you in lieu of your impending confession.' Tony held up both hands in a conciliatory gesture. 'And would you mind swapping your Shakespearean dictionary for a more concise, updated Merriam-Webster one?' Seeing no reaction save a flicker of anger in blue eyes, Tony finally snapped. 'Ok, stop playing dumb big boy!'

'Do not push too far, mortal. Mother has left me with precise instructions that I was not to harm the Midgardians in any way while I am on this quest of searching for my brother. But "dumb" is not a word I'm willing to accept.' Thor's eyes were a frightening electric blue.

'Oh, what the fuck.'

Without warning, Tony fired a blast of repulser ray at the man who instantly lifted his hammer to tank the energy ray. He watched, jaw dropped, as the piece of medieval weapon took the hit. The beam was almost 2 gigawatt, hitting the man with the output of a fully functional dam. It was impossible for the man not to be knocked out. But there he was, standing his ground by his magic electrical conductor, looking madder than ever.

Thor growled and launched himself at Iron Man.

From the shadows of the building, Loki watched in mild interest at the scuffle that was going on. The Midgardians did have such interesting inventions, or "Science" as they called it. That flying man machine was the ultimate proof of its success, as well as it limitations. Loki tuttered. He could have struck that thing down with a well placed thunderbolt, which he had no doubt that was what Thor was attempting to do. Such a pity. Hours and years of research led the man, no doubt inside the suit, to reach where he was today, but Thor could easily swat it out of his way as though it were an annoying fly. Perhaps there would be a few remains scattered on the ground when Thor was finished, and maybe Loki could extract a few for research and study. After scraping the blood and guts carefully off those metal plates of course.

The voice that was pouring out of the suit was muffled and somehow, indistinctly, it sounded familiar to Loki. He frowned as he racked his memories, trying to match it to its owner, but gave up soon enough. There was still the fate of the mortal to observe.

Thor meanwhile had managed to swing Mjolnir straight at the faceplate of the mystery Midgardian and a resounding crack sounded. Static poured out of the speakers in Tony's suit and he could feel his vision wobble as the screens flickered into focus once more. That hunk of beef had hit hard, and now, landing onto the suit, he was pulling the both of them down, the pavement spiraling closer and closer, and Tony had no doubt that his suit wouldn't survive the fall. And he wouldn't as well.

'Activate the missiles Jarvis, I got to get Mr Knucklehead here off me before he takes me to pieces with him.'

Dozens of tiny missiles, each carrying the firepower of a rocket launcher round, hit Thor and threw him off his grip on Iron Man's suit. There was a roar of pain as he hit the office building opposite. That bought Tony just enough time to kick his systems into full gear again and propelled himself higher just in case he really did hit the pavement.

Thor was lying slumped among the broken windows and desks. He had landed, not so neatly, on the carpeted flooring on the 53rd floor of the building, instantly demolishing the desk of an unfortunate office worker. Around him, hundreds of workers were screaming their heads off and heading towards the nearest evacuation stairwell they could find.

'System override. Transfer all remaining power sources to the Unibeam.'

Just then, Steve's voice came over the intercom.

'What's going on, Iron Man? I repeat, Tony pick up the intercom now! Do you copy?' His voice sounded distant and far in a flurry of static and broken comm lines.

'Roger. Everything under control, captain. Uh, just in case though, you might want to remind the undertakers to scrap the remains off the street because that will be all that's left of me when I'm done. Remember, I want to look as handsome as I always was in real life. That means, no bow ties, Steve.' Tony said in a mock serious tone.

'Tony, what -'

But he never did find out what exactly, as the Override took the intercom system with it too. Tony watched as the single solitary indicator still visible on his HUD counted down to the charging of his Unibeam. 350% now and still, it was steadily climbing.

When it reached 500%, Tony fired.

Thor raised Mjolnir once again. This time, the sheer intensity of the beam sent them both man and hammer spiraling backwards. He continued to resist, both feet digging deep in the carpeted floor, tearing holes in the maroon polyester until he could take it no more. Hitting the other end of the office floor, he broke through the cement and glass and continued his way down fifty three floors of building.

Loki mused silently and wondered how long the force would knock him out for. It was impressive, Loki never knew the human had it in him (or that he ever stood a chance from the beginning) but the beam was nowhere near enough to kill Thor. The human must have known that too, because he was making his way towards the rapidly free falling figure. Iron Man evidently still had enough fuel in him to fly.

Tony accelerated, hoping to catch their mystery man before he hit the ground. A dead man can't talk, as the saying goes. And he was still plenty interested in the workings of the finer points of his technology.

As he lifted a hand towards the medieval warrior, Tony's eyes widened in shock when Thor raised his hammer high in the air and brought it down on the air in front of his face. Instantly, a huge lightning bolt crackled from the sky, striking Tony straight on the mark.

The electricity fried his wirings and it took whatever energy still left in the suit for Tony to land safely on the ground. Thor, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He had hit the pavement chest first, and before Tony slipped into unconsciousness, he heard the distinctly sick crackle of a ribcage shattering.

* * *

Well. That went better than I expected, thought Loki as he slipped quietly off into the shadows. It would be a while before he recovered his full magic and until then it was a danger to be around anyone, even the usually harmless Midgardians. Silently, he reappeared again and walked off towards the bright green exit sign on the roof.

* * *

'Tony?'

A weak but annoying pounding throbbed painfully in his head. When he opened his eyes, the figures of his friends appeared ghostly, drifting in and out of consciousness and the light was simply...too bright. The experience was making him nauseous and the last thing he remembered was the retching feeling in the back of his throat as he puked all over the captain.

* * *

The next time Tony woke up, he was alone in the Avengers' mansion's maximum security recuperation facility. The lights have been dimmed and there was not a sound around except for the soft humming of the air conditioner. A moan escaped his lips as he tried to prop himself up on his back. The connoction of drugs had made him feel groggy and wasted, so the first thing he did was to rip of the various tubes and needles stuck into the crook of his arm. Spying the sharp tips of the needles, some of them bearing blood, he forced himself not to retch as he threw them onto the floor. Ever since he was a kid, Tony had been afraid of needles.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he attempted to balance on his feet and was surprised to find how weak they were. Finally, he managed to remain standing and turned foggily towards the door. He had to find his friends, had to know what happened to their mystery man. Vaguely, memories of a slumped, heavily armored beefy guy on the pavement came back to him but that was all. And Tony Stark was a man who needed answers and required them fast.

As soon as the doors slid open in front of his figure, Tony was surprised to find a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent waiting outside for him.

'Director Fury said I was to escort you to the meeting room as soon as you were awake. He also told me that nothing could have prevented you from joining them as soon as you woke up, being the impatient, hot-tempered, son of a bitch you are. Would you reconsider sir? In light of your much needed rest and recuperation?'

Tony blinked in surprise. Fury had been gossiping to junior level staff about him? This was not the kind of reputation he was hoping to get around here.

'Er, I think I'll pass.'

Jarvis' voice sounded, loud and clear, from the ceiling.

'May I remind you, sir, that the recommended recuperating hours for a man who has sustained injuries such as yourself, is a minimum of three days? To date, you have only utilized a mere five hours of sleep.'

'Jarvis, you are not my mother. So stop sounding like one.' then added almost as an afterthought, 'What exactly are my injuries anyway?'

Before Jarvis could reply, the junior officer began to reply. 'Allow me to enlighten you on that one, sir.'

'I do not think that would be necessary, considering how Mr Stark has such a reliable personal assistant as myself to aid him in understanding the various aspects of his life.'

Tony's eyebrows shot up at Jarvis' comeback. Mr Stark? He couldn't remember for the life of him when was the last time he had used it. Then he remembered. Never.

Leaving the both of them to their bickering (the agent looking very stupid indeed, arguing passionately with the ceiling), Tony quietly ambled off in the direction of the meeting room.

* * *

Five pairs of eyes turned to look at Tony as he entered the room.

'What? Never seen a handsomely injured dude before?'

Fury's eyes narrowed suspiciously. 'Where's Johnson?'

'The agent you sent? Arguing with Jarvis,' Tony gave a nonchalant shrug in response to the curious looks he was getting from everyone, then gave a start as he realized the presence of the extra man. 'Woah woah woah guys! What's he doing out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s maximum security cell?' he exclaimed at the sight of Thor, who still hadn't changed out of his armor yet. 'I didn't sacrifice half my ribcages just so you guys could release him for fun,' Eyes narrowed, Tony slowly backed towards the door.

'Calm down, Tony Stark, I come in peace. I mean you no harm.'

'That's a fancy thing to say after hitting me with a lightning bolt! Alright, who here told this beefcake my name?'

'Chill the fuck down, Tony. And sit down.' Fury motioned to a standard swivel office chair and gave him a look that said if you don't sit your ass down right this minute.

Wary of Thor's intimidating presence, Tony sank himself down into the chair. What was going on? He looked to Steve for answers, but the latter was too busy paying attention to Fury, so Tony supposed he might as well. He turned the chair around on its wheels to better face Fury and tried not to fall asleep. The drugs were strong enough to produce lingering effects it seemed.

'What Tony needs now is explanations, and I suspect he won't rest till he gets them.'

'Damn right you are,'

'As I was saying, before Stark so kindly interrupted me,' and here he gave Tony a pointed look, 'This here is our friend, Thor. Thor has just told us a very fascinating story indeed. For the benefit of our Iron Man here, could you do us a favor and repeat it again?'

'Certaintly, Director Fury.' Thor looked very happy indeed to be in the centre of attention. Tony snorted. The man was annoying him already. Wasn't it obvious to everyone else what a big buffaloon he was?

Seated on his right, Bruce whispered into Tony's ear. 'Let me warn you first though, you might have some difficulties believing him. I know I did. But nothing he says can be disproved and the evidence is certainly in his favor, so I suggest broadening your mind and giving the sod a chance.'

'What do you mean -'

Bruce nudged him and said simply, 'Just listen.'

'My brother and I, we are both Asgardians. We are not of your realm, as they say, but exists somewhere outside of your time.'

'Wow, you mean like fairies and pixies? I mean, come on guys,' Tony said when the rest of the room turned around to glare at him. 'You don't actually believe this shit right?'

'I don't know Bruce, how else can you explain the weird happenings in Central Park?' Natasha challenged.

'With a little science and logic? Hello guys, am I the only scientist in here who believes in the existence of some superior, undiscovered technology?' It was a direct hit to Bruce but he appeared not to care.

'He's not going to believe without proof. Show him Thor.' Fury waved a hand.

Thor lifted Mjolnir and aimed it at the glass windows of the meeting room. A burst of lightning shot out and shattered the glass into a million tiny pieces.

Tony appeared unconvinced. 'It could be a plasma gun.'

'Thor has a logical explanation for Central Park, don't you, big boy?' It was Clint this time and his friendliness with Thor irritated Tony. What's everyone playing so nice for? Dogface, or whatever his name was, could be a fraud for all they know. Tony snorted. For an assassin, Clint could be so trusting and infuriatingly naive.

'Indeed Clint Barton, my man.' Thor's face took on a look of gravity. The furrows between his thick blonde eyebrows deepened and his lips were pursed in a tight line. 'My brother, he has not been quite...stable. Something happened back home which upset him greatly. And so he left Asgard. He arrived here not more than two weeks ago.'

'Wait wait wait. Hold up there, cowboy. How did you say your brother came down here again?' Tony interrupted.

'That is not my secret to tell. We Asgardians possess such technology as the Midgardians do not even dream of.'

Tony looked mildly interested for the first time since this conversation started. Already, the cogs were whirring in his mind. It was up to him, Tony Stark to find out and discover this secret technology. Part of him believed that Thor did not elaborate because he didn't know the finer aspects of how to work the system more than selfishness. A multi-dimensional teleportation system? The impacts it would bring on current technology...he didn't even dare think.

'I have been sent by my father, the glorious Odin, to this place where you call "Earth", to find my brother and bring him back to let the council decide on his fate. Alas, I was too late. It seems as if Loki had already brought destruction in its wake.'

Loki? Funny how common that name was, because there was a guy he met in Japan who had the same name. But unlike Thor's brother, Tony was pretty sure his Loki did not possess any magical powers. Although he did have quite a magical body...

This time it was Steve Rogers who spoke up. 'So you're absolutely certain that it was your brother, Loki, who caused the events in Central Park?'

'I'm sure of it. It is his distinctive energy patterns. I have seen as much of the destruction from the photos that Director Fury showed me, and it is Loki, no doubt.' Suddenly, Thor pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. He bowed. 'Please accept my sincerest apologies for my brother's misdeeds.'

There was a flurry of activity all around. Steve stood up and implored him to sit down, whilst Bruce started chuckling. Fury was a mask of emotionless, Natasha looked taken aback while Clint had spat out the coffee he had been drinking. Only Tony remained where he was.

'Awwww, you break my heart. No need for formality, Thor.'

Not surprisingly, he was treated to a host of poisonous looks all around. Fury cleared his throat.

'In light of the discovery of Thor and the fact that we have much to learn from the Asgardians, I have decided that we would form a beneficial partnership with Thor while he is on the search for his brother. That means, Thor is officially part of the Avengers, albeit temporarily.

'You have decided? You can't decide anything without asking the team first!' But one look was enough to tell him that he was the only one who disagreed. 'I'm part of the team. No doubt, it looks like a one man show from now on, but I'm still part of the Avengers and I have a say in who gets to join and I'm putting my iron foot down on this one, because no way in hell is he joining.'

'Tony, do be reasonable -'

'Steve, do you expect me to just believe an axe wielding maniac who goes around claiming that he's from magic land or something and his brother is the perpetuator behind all that ice? I don't know what you take me for, but a fool's not one of them.'

Standing up, he pushed his chair backwards and strode out of the door towards his room.

* * *

'Can't you see reason, Tony? Fury wanted Thor to join because this way, we can keep an eye on his activities.'

Tony kept silent and continued tinkering with his spare parts. He had no fucking idea what he was making, but at least it made him look occupied. Steve sighed and sensing no visible signal that he was to stop, continued.

'Granted, he told us that he was on our side, but that's all there is to it right? We only have his word, and tonight, we already saw what Asgardians were capable of.'

'Assuming, of course, that Asgard exists, dear Captain?'

'Yes, of course,' Steve replied absentmindedly. There could be no doubt that Steve completely believed Thor's tale. 'Even if it didn't, you have to agree that Thor is a dangerous man. He almost crushed you to death in your suit. The metal's completely pulverized.' he added quietly.

'Hence, its really important that he stays with us so that we can act as his nanny and make sure he doesn't do anything too impulsive or destructive right?' Tony finished Steve's sentence and sighed. 'That's cool and all, but I really don't like the idea of someone else coming in. I mean, we are a family and all. You guys are all I have.' The last bit came out in something akin to a choked self-realization.

'I don't like him much either,' said Steve, lying through his teeth because he liked everybody, including Bruce in PMS mode. 'But it's for the greater good, isn't it?'

'Jarvis, clear the workbench.' Tony turned around to face Steve. 'Look, I'll cooperate if he just tells me the specs of his transportation system. Also, he should start calling his "magic" by its proper name, Science. Is that too much to ask, you reckon?'

'Not at all, not at all.' Relief flooded Steve's face because it had been mother fucking hard trying to get Tony's support in this matter. This was actually the third day after Thor had been first invited to join the Avengers, and one by one, the members have taken turns to persuade Tony. They had saved Steve for last ("Because you're our trump card, Captain." Clint had said with a knowing smile) and finally, after three grueling days, the negotiation looks set to be going some way.

'See you around, Tony.' Steve's bright smile hurt Tony's insides and made him weak.

'Yeah, you too, Capt.'

* * *

Thor, of course, refused to reveal anything more about the portal except its name ("My people call it the Bifrost, and it links your world with ours.") which more or less confirmed Tony's suspicions that Thor did not know anything about it at all. To Thor's credit though, he had stopped using the word "magic" whenever Tony was in the room but neither did he call it science. To be honest, Tony was quite fine with the arrangement as long as it meant that he would have as little to do with Thor as possible.

In other news, the Green Goblin was being peskier than usual. Perhaps he had sensed the new blood among the Avengers, but whatever it was, he had taken to appearing in the streets in broad daylight to challenge the Avengers' authority. Not without a few meat shields of course. They all had no doubts as to his intention - luring the Avengers into an all out fight to size up their newest addition.

'Green Goblin sighted on Madison street, holding, oh fuck, the mayor as hostage.' Clint's voice came out loud and clear over the speakers during their latest mission after the Thor escapade. 'I've got a clear shot, over, do I take it?'

'Roger that. Hawkeye, stand your ground, do you hear me?'

But Clint was obviously not listening. He fired am arrow straight at Green Goblin's heart and watched, satisfyingly as it zoomed neatly towards him. All of a sudden, the arrow stopped it flight mid-air, hampered by something unseen.

'Jarvis?'

'A force field, sir.'

'As I suspected. Captain, there's a energy shield surrounding him so we can't get too close before we are repelled.'

'Do you copy, team? No one gets close to Goblin, or the mayor's life is in danger. That means no solo action, Hawkeye.'

'Sorry Capt, just testing.'

* * *

'Lay down your weapons, Avengers, or I shall take his life!' The mayor, a short, pot-bellied middle aged man was simpering in his grasp. His expression mad it clear that he no longer considered the job of mayor to be a prime one.

It was obvious to all that Green Goblin was just playing around.

'Alternatively, you let him go or I blow out your brains.' Tony stood just out of range of the Green Goblin, one repulser ray aimed at his head. Behind him, Steve and Natasha was slowly encircling him. Clint was taking aim from a rooftop. Thor, meanwhile, was given air duty. Bruce was of course, not ever in action unless the need arose.

'Iron Man, how delightful. Now, you won't say no to a pleasant rooftop race, would you?' In a flash, Norman Osborn had gripped the mayor around his waist, leaped onto the Goblin Glider and was gone. So was Tony, a streak of red and gold hot on his tail.

Norman skidded around a particularly tricker corner, nearly hitting the glass windows of a buildings, all the while laughing.

'Catch me if you can, tin man!'

'Give me higher thrust power, Jarvis.'

As both men sped across the cityscape of New York, their distorted reflections appeared as a continuous stream in the glass windows passing by. Look at us, two man in costumes, chasing each other.

'And the poor tin man lamented, "I just wanted a heart!"' Chuckling deviously and without a backwards glance, Norman flung the mayor over his shoulder towards Tony. Immediately, the mayor rocketed towards the ground. Tony swore, then changed course mid-air to hurtle towards the mayor. He had to be fast.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Thor, suddenly leaping from the rooftop of a nearby building, pouncing onto Norman like a lion. Tony had no doubt what his favorite move was. He winced as he heard the sickening crackle of electricity which meant that Thor had hit the electromagnetic force field and was flung backwards. Well, he had no time to think of much any longer and still faster Iron Man flew, until finally he slipped his arms around the falling figure of the mayor and lifted him up towards a roof.

Undeterred, Thor managed to break his fall in mid-air, then careened rapidly towards the escaping figure of Norman Osbourne. This time though, he lifted Mjolnir in a striking position. Tony was already on his way towards them when suddenly a burst of electricity crackled and his eyes widened in surprise as Mjolnir broke through the force field. By the looks of it, Norman was caught off guard too as Thor brought the hammer down with a satisfying crack onto his helmet.

Just as Thor was about to apprehend the target, there was a "bam" and suddenly everywhere was engulfed in thick, black smoke which caused Thor to cough. By the time he recovered, Green Goblin was gone.

Tony pulled up to where Thor was, clapped him on the back and said, 'Do you think I can borrow your hammer for a while, buddy?'

* * *

There could be no doubt that his brother was working with the Avengers (he had learnt their name from an agitated passerby), what Loki had taken to be Midgard's equivalent of a peacekeeping force. Thor's senses weren't as attuned as Loki's was, and this meant that he could not sense Loki's presence but the latter was able to do so just fine. And he could sense his brother whizzing in the air above him, trying to stop a costumed criminal flying about on his hoverboard. Seriously, Midgardian criminals lack sophistication.

During the past few days, Loki had decided that he would not stay in hiding any longer. There was simply no point. If he escaped to a different country it might buy him more time but sooner or later Thor would realize and then he would give chase, ceaselessly and tirelessly. Loki had no doubt of that. He longed for a more...permanent solution. He would stand and fight.

Grimly, Loki looked up from the ice cream cone he was eating. Thor was in conversation with the metal man from the building. He licked the strawberry ice cream that had melted onto his fingers away. Loki had almost recovered his powers. All he needed was another day before they were fully charged.

And then he would take them all down, Thor or no Thor. The friend of his enemy was his enemy as well.


End file.
